The Fox Cities experienced a life-changing tornado in July 2026. As the community continues to recover from the devastating storm, a company’s employee assistance program (EAP) can be a valuable resource.
An EAP not only offers timely in-person and virtual counseling options, it also connects people with longer-term support to help address property damage, disrupted routines, financial concerns, stress, anxiety and uncertainty.
Alex Gloudemans, PharmD, FACHE, director of operations for ThedaCare At Work, says an EAP offers a valuable, no-cost resource for employees for a variety of challenges they may face.
“In the immediate aftermath of a traumatic event, people can start with small, steady self-care steps and reach out early if stress begins interfering with daily life,” he says.
Self-Care to Try on Your Own
Small steps can make a big difference as you try to reclaim your sense of normalcy after a traumatic event.
Start with:
- Focusing on immediate safety and basic needs: Prioritize rest, hydration, meals, medication, shelter and safe cleanup practices.
- Keeping routines when possible: Regular sleep, meal times, work/school rhythms and family routines can help restore a sense of control.
- Limiting repeated exposure to storm coverage: Staying informed is useful, but frequent exposure to news or social media can intensify stress.
- Talking with trusted people: Sharing experiences with family, friends, coworkers, faith leaders and neighbors can reduce isolation.
- Breaking recovery into small steps: Make one phone call, complete one cleanup task and handle one form at a time.
- Accepting practical help: Assistance with meals, childcare, transportation, cleanup or navigating insurance can reduce emotional overload.
- Being patient with reactions: Trouble sleeping, irritability, sadness, jumpiness or difficulty concentrating can be common after a disaster. Give yourself grace.
When to Seek Extra Support
Help is only an ask away. If you have access to EAP services, take advantage of them. Your primary care physician can also help connect you to resources. ThedaCare Behavioral Health Walk-in Care offers an additional optional and is available Monday through Friday, no appointment necessary.
People should consider seeking help if they:
- Feel overwhelmed most of the day or cannot function at work, home or school.
- Have stress reactions that continue or worsen after several weeks.
- Experience panic, persistent anxiety, hopelessness, intense anger or ongoing sadness.
- Struggle to sleep, eat, concentrate or manage daily responsibilities.
- Turn to alcohol, drugs or other risky behaviors to cope.
- Feel disconnected from others or unable to talk about what happened.
- Have children showing strong fear, regression, nightmares, clinginess or behavior changes.
- Experience thoughts of self-harm, suicide or harming other. In that case, seek immediate help by calling 911 or a crisis line such as 988.
Your EAP Benefits
EAP services offer a valuable resource to an organization’s team members. The ThedaCare At Work EAP combines local, personalized counseling with proven tools to support the whole person.
An EAP can provide:
- Counseling support for acute needs: Short-term counseling support can bridge to long-term mental health support when needed. ThedaCare At Work EAP offers both virtual and in-person counseling support.
- Respect for your privacy: All EAP services are completely confidential, and all EAP health records are kept separate from larger system HR and insurance records. Your employer does not have access to who or why people use their EAP.
- Family coverage: People who live in your household are covered by your EAP, even if your family does not have company-provided health insurance. Because you are a team member, anyone in your household can access mental health, substance use disorder or trusted referral services. As families recover from the powerful tornado experience, your EAP supports children to process their fear and anxiety.
- Holistic care: Many EAPs also offer no-cost critical incident response for workplace teams that experience loss of life, traumatic injury and other significant changes to their workplace culture.
Tornado Response Resources
Here are some practical tips for recovering from the recent Fox Cities tornado:
- 211 is a free and confidential service that connects you with thousands of local programs and services. Call 211 to report the damage to your household, physical or financial health. This also helps to secure our region with disaster response funds.
- Tell the 211 operator about the challenges you face. Several specialty disaster response agencies in the Fox Valley are available. These include tactical tree removal, meal delivery, and mental health and spiritual support. It’s a great place to ask for help and receive compassionate and timely support.
Hope and Help are Here for You
Recovery will take time, care and support. The key is to ask for help when you need it.
“You may need to get comfortable receiving help instead of solely giving to others,” Gloudemans says. “The stress that you experience, no matter the cause or severity of the storm’s damage, is what deserves care and attention. Don’t be shy about asking for support, and don’t think your stressors are any less important than others’.”
