CARE (Colleague Awareness Resources and Education) Committee 

Ivone Umar, MA , Ph.D.    
[email protected] 

CARING FOR OURSELVES IS ESSENTIAL TO COMPETENTLY CARING FOR OTHERS
The psychology profession has recognized the need to encourage prevention as well as referrals for rehabilitative mechanisms for members who may experience behavioral, cognitive, emotional, and/or substance-related distress. The CARE program is designed to provide education and access to referrals, resources and increase awareness of issues of diversity, compassion fatigue, secondary traumatization, prevention, and early intervention.
 
The Mission of CARE is to:

  1. Increase awareness of how self-care and attention to wellness can mitigate the stressors inherent in the psychology professional.
  2. Provide preventive resources that will support psychologists and students in maintaining and enhancing general health and mental well-being throughout the developmental spectrum of their personal and professional lives.
  3. Normalize help-seeking and health-seeking behaviors and interventions for the Los Angeles County psychological community.
  4. Provide education and support programming and resources that are relevant to the needs of the diverse Los Angeles County psychological community.
  5. Educate the Los Angeles County psychological community about wellness, self-care, stress management, compassion fatigue, depression, substance abuse, and signs of physical and emotional distress.
  6. Develop mechanisms for dialogue and discussion on wellness issues with an awareness of issues of diversity within the psychological community.
  7. Endeavor to reduce the occurrence, frequency, and severity of distress and/or impairment of Los Angeles County psychologists and students through prevention, education, early identification, and access to appropriate referrals.