The recent news of a hate-motivated attack on a Muslim family in London, Ont., is a traumatic event that can trigger overwhelming emotional responses.

Brock University’s Employee and Family Assistance Program (EFAP) provider, LifeWorks (formerly Morneau Shepell), has opened a Crisis Support Line for anyone in need of emotional support in relation to this event. The crisis line is also available to anyone emotionally affected by the recent discovery of the remains of 215 Indigenous children on the grounds of the former Kamloops Indian Residential School in British Columbia.

Callers do not need to be a Brock employee or an immediate family member of an employee to access this free service. The Crisis Support Line is available 24-7 and can be reached at 1-844-751-2133. By calling, individuals will receive professional emotional support from LifeWorks’ traumatic event support team and/or a referral to community resources.

All Brock faculty and staff and their immediate family members can continue to access free, voluntary and confidential EFAP support services 24-7 by selecting the phone icon in the LifeWorks mobile app or calling 1-844-880-9137.

Faculty and staff can access wellness resources on the LifeWorks mobile app and the Health Safety and Wellness Toolbox, such as articles related to traumatic events:

• How a traumatic event can affect you
• Taking care after a traumatic event
• Tips for helping your child through a traumatic event

Brock students in need of support can also access confidential 24-7 personal counselling services from licensed counsellors through Brock’s Student Wellness and Accessibility Centre (SWAC) by calling 1-833-276-2533 (1-833-BROCK33). If calling from outside of North America, call 001-416-382-3257 (long distance charges may apply).

Same-day counselling appointments for urgent matters can be booked online. If no appointments are available, call the number above.

Real-time, confidential phone and text chat counselling support is also available to students 24-7 through the My SSP app, which is available to download through the App Store or Google Play.

Additional crisis resources are listed on the SWAC website.

Resources are also available on the Human Rights and Equity office’s website.