Recovering from Workplace Traumatic Events: By Taking Steps to Build Resiliency and Demonstrating Support for Mental Health and Wellness Initiatives, Organizational Leaders and EA Professionals can Set the Stage for a More Successful Recovery from a Traumatic Event

On April 16, 2007, the Virginia Tech University community was tested in a way never previously imagined. On that chilly morning in Blacksburg, Virginia, a student killed 32 people and wounded many more before taking his own life. The massacre remains the deadliest shooting incident by a single gunman in U.S. history and required a massive response by the university, its Human Resources Department, and its EAP. At a special convocation the following day, Nikki Giovanni, an English professor and poet, introduced the phrase "We will Prevail" in a poem she wrote titled "We Are Virginia Tech." This theme of resiliency resonated with and was promptly adopted by the Virginia Tech community, contributing to the restoration of community wellness, engagement and productivity.