FEI Behavioral Health's expertise in managing crisis in a retail environment is featured on the website of Retail Merchandiser. Terri Howard, senior director for FEI, authored the article "Managing a Retail Crisis."
FEI Behavioral Health recently contributed to the rapidly growing dialog about the importance of understanding social media within the context of crisis management. Our article, "Weathering the Social Media Storm: How to Integrate Social Media Into the Threat Assessment Process" appeared in the newsletter of the Association of Threat Assessment Professionals.
Vivian Marinelli, senior director of crisis management services for FEI Behavioral Health, recently contributed her expertise to an article about managing disruptive behavior in a retail environment. The story was published in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Nick Zarcone, chairman of the FEI Behavioral Health Board of Directors, will become CFO of Robert W. Baird & Co. April 1, 2011.
Zarcone joined Baird in 1995. Since 2004 he has served as managing director and COO of investment banking. He became chairman of FEI's board in January 2011.
Financial issues have become a primary concern for many Americans. Financial counseling is an important aspect of FEI Behavioral Health's employee assistance program (EAP) services. The counseling services we provide to the employees of Prudential were recently featured in an article on Fox Business.
The FEI Behavioral Health Board of Directors recently voted unanimously to hire Ted Uczen as president of the Milwaukee-based crisis management services, employee assistance program, and work-life services company.
Dan Potterton, Chief Operating Officer of FEI Behavioral Health, recently presented during the Employee Assistance Professionals Association Annual World EAP Conference in Tampa, Fla., Oct. 6-9, 2010. Attendees will have the opportunity to better understand how their younger and older co-workers think and work, as well as how to capitalize on those unique characteristics.
FEI has announced the debut of Manager Exchange. Manager Exchange is a blog created to facilitate sharing expertise and exchanging ideas as well as sharing views, experiences and resources subjects relevant to workforce resilience.
A company's workforce is its most valuable asset, and employee morale, engagement, and productivity often form the glue that holds the business together. According to a recent white paper by Towers Watson, 44 percent of health care employees are capable, caring and ready to be engaged, but they don't feel motivated by company executives.
Dan Potterton, chief operating officer for FEI Behavioral Health an industry veteran gives his expert advice on best practices regarding when and how to launch a wellness program. The employee benefit news article “Preparing for Open Enrollment 2011: Covering all bases” gives wellness the spotlight it deserves.
All it takes is a quick read of the headlines to recognize the added stress on educators and students as they deal with the potential for violence. Today’s news contains a rising number of stories about disruption at our schools—from altercations between staff or students to disastrous events like shootings. It’s important for school leaders to understand basic crisis management principles—and how social media might play a role in the event of a crisis, for better or worse. Here are some tips to keep in mind.
Keys to Organizational Resilience - The Value of Being Prepared
With the pace of business accelerating to an ever-more frantic pace, it is often too easy to set aside concerns about preparing your organization for a crisis.
Yet, the headlines make it clear that “It Can Happen Here.” A wide spectrum of events can disrupt your ability to conduct business and put your staff at risk.
Even the most basic levels of preparedness can help your organization get back on its feet, minimizing the debilitating long-term effects of a crisis.
Today we mourn the loss of a profound leader in the non-profit community.
On Friday August 12th, Peter Goldberg, President and CEO of Families International died unexpectedly while on vacation in Maine. Families International is the non-profit parent company of FEI Behavioral Health. Our hearts go out to his family and our colleagues/friends at our sister companies the Alliance for Children and Families, United Neighborhood Centers of America and Ways to Work. Peter's expertise, passion and devotion for his work will have a lasting impact for years to come.
Families International, the Alliance for Children and Families, United Neighborhood Centers of America, Ways to Work, and FEI Behavioral Health will hold a memorial service to celebrate the life of the late Peter Goldberg, our leader and friend, on Sunday, October 16th, at 6:30–7:30 p.m. EDT.
The service will be held in the International Ballroom of the Washington Hilton, 1919 Connecticut Avenue N.W., Washington D.C.
A small Milwaukee company played a big role in the crisis communications following the 9/11 terrorist attacks 10 years ago.
FEI Behavioral Health, 11700 W. Lake Park Drive in Milwaukee, was founded in 1979 to handle crisis communications and employee assistance programs for other companies. Most of FEI’s 35 employees have at least a master’s level degree in a behavioral health field, said Vivian Marinelli, senior director of crisis management services.
“They’re all mental health professionals, so they already know how to work with people in crisis,” Marinelli said.
Innovative financial wellness approach allows access to emergency funds and builds credit
Sept. 13, 2011— FEI Behavioral Health, a national EAP, wellness and crisis management company based in Milwaukee, has partnered with Emerge Workplace Solutions to offer an exclusive new financial wellness program aimed at strengthening workers’ financial resiliency.
FEI Behavioral Health to Feature Two Workshops at 2011 ASIS Seminar Conference
MILWAUKEE – Sept. 19, 2011 – FEI Behavioral Health, a leading Milwaukee-based crisis management, EAP, and work-life services company, will present two workshops as part of 2011 ASIS Seminar in Orlando, FL, running Sept. 19-22.
Reaching Forward, Reaching Back: Mentoring Women in Security
From Nonprofit to For-Profit: A Story of Organizational Transformation
MILWAUKEE- Sept 30th, 2011 – FEI Behavioral Health, a leading Milwaukee-based crisis management, EAP, and wellness services company, will present an engaging workshop at the 2011 NIB/NAEPB Annual Training Conference. This session will outline how a nonprofit program, at a nonprofit membership organization, has reinvented itself multiple times over the past 30 years to become a multimillion-dollar, for-profit business, owned by a social enterprise.
Terri Howard, director of crisis management for FEI Behavioral Health, recently contributed her expertise to an article about the importance of having a preparation plan in the event of a natural or man-made disaster. In the article Howard discusses the importance of leveraging the resources available through an employee assistance program (EAP) in the wake of a disaster. The article, “Hoping for the Best, Preparing for the Worst,” was published in the International Public Management Association for Human Resources (IPMA- HR) HR News magazine.
MILWAUKEE — Oct. 12, 2011 — Susan N. Dreyfus, secretary of the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services has been named President and CEO of Families International, Inc., parent company of FEI Behavioral Health. She will replace Peter Goldberg, who died suddenly on Aug. 12, 2011. Dreyfus will also become a board member for FEI Behavioral health, in addition to several leadership roles within Families International, Inc. effective Jan. 2, 2012.
An employee with personal financial problems spends an average of 20 work hours per month dealing with them, according to Personal Finance Employee Education Foundation, a financial literacy nonprofit organization. And according to the Center for Responsible Lending, more than 50 percent of Americans live paycheck-to-paycheck, with no savings set aside for emergencies.
When the for-profit company FEI Behavioral Health, Milwaukee, prospers, members of the Alliance for Children and Families earn a social and capacity-building dividend. Yet, they are insulated from the risks typically associated with being corporate shareholders.
published by Amber Alles on Thu, 01/26/2012 - 15:47
How Public Safety Leaders Can Use Social Media to Effectively Manage Campus Crises
Today's news contains a rising number of stories about disruption at our schools - from altercations between staff or students to disastrous events like shootings. This creates added stress on educators and students as they deal with the potential for violence. It's important for public safety leaders to understand basic crisis management principles - and how social media might play a role in the event of a crisis, for better or worse. Here are some tips to keep in mind.
published by Amber Alles on Tue, 01/31/2012 - 13:47
MILWAUKEE- Jan. 30, 2012 – FEI Behavioral Health, a leading Milwaukee-based crisis management, EAP, and wellness services company, is pleased to announce Diane Barbieri and Dan Potterton as the winners of the 2011 Amy Kallas Customer Advocate Award for the 4th Quarter and 2011 Amy Kallas Customer Advocate of the Year Award, respectively.
published by Amber Alles on Fri, 02/03/2012 - 08:48
FEI is dedicated to supporting our country’s Veterans by providing these workers with the assistance that is needed to make a smooth transition from military to civilian life. In an effort to enhance our current programs, FEI is interested in researching how our customers and partners have also made this commitment to Veterans. We have developed a brief survey to gather information about current trends in Veteran assistance programs across the country. This survey should take no more than 3 minutes to complete, but will produce some highly valuable information that will provide even more support to our country’s Veterans and their families.
published by Amber Alles on Fri, 02/17/2012 - 09:20
Just as immediate medical care can mean the difference between future complications and a swift recovery after an injury, immediate psychological first aid can mean the mean the difference in the time it takes for a company’s employees to psychologically heal after the event.
The Alliance for Children and Families and United Neighborhood Centers of America are seeking a talented individual to represent the interests of the Alliance and UNCA to the legislative, executive and judicial branches of the federal government and engage and mobilize our membership and their constituents to impact policy that promotes the wellbeing of children, families, adults and communities. For more information about the Alliance and UNCA, please visit www.alliance1.org and www.unca.org.
published by Amber Alles on Mon, 02/20/2012 - 10:26
Susan Dreyfus took over in January as president and chief executive of the Alliance for Children and Families and its parent organization, Families International. She said she wants to raise the visibility of the organizations to make them more vital, participatory and important to Milwaukee. And she thinks she's perfectly suited to do that because of her history, experience and long ties to the state.
published by Amber Alles on Tue, 02/21/2012 - 10:18
FEI is pleased to announce the debut of the Crisis Management Blog page. We envision this blog as a virtual forum where clients and those within the crisis management community can exchange ideas with their peers, as well as share their views, experiences, and resources on any relevant subject. The Crisis Management Blog will allow leaders in the field to tap into FEI’s expertise, through a professional, respectful and confidential exchange.
published by Amber Alles on Thu, 03/08/2012 - 16:06
It CAN Happen Here: A Proactive Approach to Violence Prevention in Schools
As horrifying and unthinkable as violence in schools may be, we are tragically reminded far too often that it is a possibility every community must take seriously. Preparing for crisis is certainly no promise of prevention, and from the vantage of hindsight the diligent course may seem obvious. Nonetheless, it is worth remembering that while awareness is the most basic tool of crisis prevention, its importance is often overlooked.
published by Amber Alles on Thu, 03/15/2012 - 10:28
Lending a Hand and a Personal Touch to Employees
Employee assistance programs—referred to as EAPs—can be a valuable support system for associations and their employees. EAPs can advise association employees about child care and elder care services and connect them to resources for substance abuse issues or grief counseling. A good EAP will also help people get back on their feet and refocused on their job. Whether an association consists of a handful of employees or hundreds, there’s an EAP that can help your group foster a better work environment.
published by Amber Alles on Thu, 03/22/2012 - 14:45
FEI is dedicated to supporting our country’s Veterans by providing these workers with the assistance that is needed to make a smooth transition from military to civilian life. Through the use of a short survey, FEI has been researching how our customers and partners have also made this commitment to Veterans. In order to learn more about the purpose of our survey, and our research initiative, we invite you to view our new Returning Veterans Initiative Video introduced by FEI’s Chief Operating Officer, Dan Potterton.
published by Amber Alles on Thu, 04/19/2012 - 10:23
Susan Dreyfus, CEO of FEI Behavioral Health’s parent company, Families International Inc., speaks to her role in the nonprofit human services sector and highlights the work of FEI:
FEI Behavioral Health achieves the collective vision by protecting the most valuable asset an organization possesses — its workforce. “FEI has taken the traditional employee assistance program model and partners with organizations of all sizes to protect and enhance their workforce effectiveness and organizational resiliency,” said Dreyfus.
“FEI also provides for the ‘people side’ of crisis preparedness and response,” she continued. “It utilizes the strength of the Alliance for Children and Families network in both of these program areas. FEI has contracts within the government, nonprofit, and for-profit sectors — including crisis management contracts with the U.S. Department of Justice, the National Transportation Safety Board, the U.S. House of Representatives, and the U.S. Senate.
published by Amber Alles on Thu, 05/03/2012 - 11:07
As horrifying and unthinkable as violence on campus may be, we are tragically reminded far too often that it is a possibility every community must take seriously. Preparing for crisis is certainly no promise of prevention, and from the vantage of hindsight the diligent course may seem obvious. Nonetheless, it is worth remembering that while awareness is the most basic tool of crisis prevention, its importance is often overlooked.
“Behaviors rarely happen in a vacuum,” says Dr. Vivian Marinelli, senior director of crisis management with FEI Behavioral Health. “Particularly in students, there tend to be signals and precursors to violent behaviors. Increasingly, these signals are in plain view, thanks to the various forms of social media. It is crucial for all stakeholders in our communities to take these signals seriously. Oftentimes the ability to do that comes from simple awareness.”
published by Amber Alles on Mon, 06/04/2012 - 14:41
June marks the 4th annual National Employee Wellness Month in the U.S. This year, FEI Behavioral Health encourages employers to focus on the mental wellness of their workforces in addition to the physical wellness.
Most companies already offer a variety of options for physical exercise, and many have even invested in healthy eating programs. However, organizations and individuals often overlook the importance of mental well-being. Without an equal focus on emotional and social factors, physical challenges cannot be properly addressed.
published by Amber Alles on Fri, 06/29/2012 - 09:50
Creating 9-1-1 Fact Sheets for your employees. Why your employees' personal safety matters to your business.
Implementing a system that allows for the proper collection, integration and confidential management of family contact information and other important employee information helps HR professionals communicate with employees and keep their families safe during a crisis on a real-time basis. This type of system ensures that families receive accurate and timely information about their loved one’s whereabouts or health status at the time of a disaster.
published by Amber Alles on Wed, 07/25/2012 - 16:19
In the aftermath of horrific events such as the mass shooting in Colorado, questions and concerns naturally arise among managers, employees, and even their families about the possibility and potential prevention of such catastrophes within our own communities and workplaces. Many of the questions we ask focus on whether a particular event could have been prevented, and whether we can prevent such events in the future.
published by Amber Alles on Wed, 08/22/2012 - 12:58
FEI Behavioral Health is pleased to announce the addition of its new Compliance and Ethics Hotline product, an anonymous and confidential external employee whistleblower system. FEI’s Compliance and Ethics Hotline (CEH) product underscores an organization’s commitment to supporting the highest standards of ethical behavior. The CEH provides employees and stakeholders a means to anonymously report health and safety concerns, theft and illegal behavior, register complaints, and report unethical behavior to an impartial and objective third party.
published by Amber Alles on Tue, 09/25/2012 - 14:07
The vulnerability of nursing home residents became a national issue when thirty-five individuals at one facility perished during Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Since the beginning of 2012, there have been nineteen Federal Major Disaster declarations alone. Whether it is the result of severe storms and flooding as we witnessed most recently in Minnesota and Florida or the wildfires in Colorado, people have had to evacuate their homes and sometimes their communities for their own safety. Many individuals and families have emergency response plans that they have developed to use as a resource during these difficult times. However, who plans for the family members living in assisted living facilities or nursing homes?
published by Amber Alles on Tue, 10/02/2012 - 16:36
FEI’s Chief Operating Officer, Dan Potterton will be presenting a session at the 26th annual Wisconsin Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) State Conference in Wisconsin Dells, WI. Dan’s session, “Multigenerational Workplace: A Leadership Opportunity,” will be held on Friday, October 5th from 11:30am to 12:45pm. The session will identify the unique characteristics of the four different biological generations of today’s workplace and describe the most effective strategies in managing these individual generations.
published by Amber Alles on Tue, 10/16/2012 - 13:48
Preparing for Disaster in a Nursing Home or AL Facility
Although it's been seven years, the deaths of 35 seniors during Hurricane Katrina remain a reminder of the vulnerability of nursing home residents. Already this year, the U.S. has experienced 19 federal Major Disaster declarations, including wildfires, hurricanes, flooding and more. So who's looking out for your residents?
published by Amber Alles on Fri, 11/09/2012 - 15:01
Might the move toward standardization benefit from some manner of training or advisory program similar to one in the United States that helps long-term care facilities implement emergency management plans, and train employees about what to do in response to disasters?
Absolutely, argues Dan Potterton, chief operating officer of Milwaukee, Wisconsin-based FEI Behavioral Health, the national network employee assistance program provider that provides crisis management, disaster planning and employee assistance program services in the U.S. and countries including Canada. "I think governments should set a level of awareness and expectation," says Potterton. "It's not just 'do we have a plan, have we practiced a plan and have we talked to the plan,' people change constantly in this business, so the question is whether there is business continuity in terms of one person sharing information with another individual as opposed to a plan sitting on a shelf getting dusty.
published by Amber Alles on Fri, 11/30/2012 - 11:05
The summer of 2012 produced one of the most alarming streaks of workplace-related violence in recent memory. These tragedies all occurred within two months. The stream of headlines describing violence at various places of employment was long and horrifying, and the lives of those affected will never be the same. Is such a streak an indication of a trend towards increasing violence? Or was this an awful series of coincidences?
published by Amber Alles on Tue, 12/04/2012 - 13:56
Hurricane Sandy was yet another wake-up call to hospitals and long-term care (LTC) organizations to have a written disaster plan in place. Some facilities that chose not to evacuate in advance ended up evacuating during the height of the storm, making it more dangerous and difficult. This brings to light the importance of having a disaster recovery plan and knowing when to use it. Would your facility be able to survive a disaster?
published by Amber Alles on Mon, 12/17/2012 - 13:28
FEI’s Senior Director of Crisis Management, Dr. Vivian Marinelli, spoke with CBS 58 News this morning in response the Connecticut tragedy. Dr. Marinelli and offered advice for parents and teachers on how to talk to children about violence and how to find out if schools have safety plans in place.
published by Amber Alles on Mon, 12/17/2012 - 15:20
In the wake of the mass shooting tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut in which 20 students were killed, along with six adults, crisis management experts say it’s important for parents to talk with children about what happened and make emergency plans. The enormity of the Newtown, Connecticut shooting may seem overwhelming, but clinical psychologist and Senior Director of Crisis Management for FEI Dr. Vivian Marinelli says parents must understand what happened, come up with a safety plan and talk to their children.
published by Amber Alles on Wed, 01/09/2013 - 11:44
How do those impacted by the tragedy in Connecticut move forward?
“These types of events have a ripple effect in the community, each of those families, the school and the teachers all have connections into the community and even as we see now an effect throughout the world. We’ve seen a lot of outreach from some of the other school shootings and the families; they’ve reached out to folks over at Sandy Hook. They know they that are never the same after an incident like this, but you can recover and you can go forward with your life.” -Vivian Marinelli
published by Amber Alles on Thu, 01/17/2013 - 14:03
"As the crisis call center for 9/11 victims and their families, we know the importance of having well-established crisis plans at all levels of business – from managing supplies to accounting for staff, physicians and patients in the midst of disaster. Yet, despite examples such as Hurricane Sandy, many facilities simply haven’t taken the time to focus on it.”
published by Amber Alles on Tue, 02/05/2013 - 12:21
Sarbanes-Oxley Turns 10
Ten years ago, the enactment of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act forever changed the landscape of nonprofit accountability. Today, the anniversary presents an opportune time for organizations to revisit the act and its implications. Even for organizations that made necessary adjustments when the law was enacted, a reexamination will allow leaders to incorporate the latest tools and best practices for accountability.
published by Amber Alles on Wed, 02/27/2013 - 09:29
FEI’s Dr. Vivian Marinelli was on 620 WTMJ Wisconsin’s Afternoon News talking with John Mercure about the recent proposal in Madison to screen elementary students for mental health.
"There are a couple of things to consider when you look at mandatory mental health screenings. If we start to move away from that stigma of mental illness and treat it as mental health and consider the whole wellness of an individual, it’s a great piece. Much like health overall, there may be something here that needs to be addressed. In doing so, students can go and reach their full potential as a result of having it addressed early on. This way if you address it early on and give the support that’s needed you really can prime them to be able to meet that full potential." - Dr. Vivian Marinelli
published by Amber Alles on Tue, 04/09/2013 - 13:10
The concept of workplace violence is not new, but it has experienced a recent increase in awareness due, in part, to the string of incidents that have occurred since the Aurora, CO, movie theater shooting last July. Shortly after that tragedy, the Sikh Temple shooting occurred in Oak Creek, WI, followed by a grocery store shooting in New Jersey, then a shooting outside a workplace near the Empire State Building in New York City and the Minneapolis sign shop shooting. After a short lull, another shooting occurred in the workplace as a result of domestic violence, this time at a salon and day spa in Brookfield, WI.
published by Amber Alles on Mon, 04/22/2013 - 13:03
April 22, 2013, Milwaukee, Wis. — FEI Behavioral Health, a national EAP, wellness and crisis management company based in Milwaukee, announces its new partnership with Atlanta-based Families First, a leading nonprofit family service agency in Georgia. As a result of the partnership, finalized in late 2012, FEI now manages all Employee Assistance Program (EAP) operations for Families First customers.
published by Amber Alles on Wed, 04/24/2013 - 14:46
FEI's recent partnership with Georgia-based nonprofit Families First has started to gain national attention. Our partnership announcement has recently been featured in several online magazines and newspaper publications including the Wall Street Journal, the Atlanta Business Chronicle, and Biz Times Daily.
published by Amber Alles on Mon, 04/29/2013 - 10:31
Susan N. Dreyfus, CEO of FEI’s parent company, Families International Inc. has been appointed to the National Commission to Eliminate Child Abuse and Neglect Fatalities. The appointment was made by Rep. John Boehner of Ohio, speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives. Dreyfus will join 11 other appointed members on the bipartisan commission, which was created through the Protect Our Kids Act passed by Congress in 2012 and signed into law by President Barack Obama in January 2013.
published by Amber Alles on Fri, 05/03/2013 - 10:54
In July 2009, Catholic Charities USA (CCUSA) was awarded a contract by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration for Children and Families (ACF) to provide disaster case management services in the U.S. and U.S. territories. The contract provides for rapid deployment following a disaster and a single point of contact for affected individuals who need a wide variety of services. As the National Partner for ACF, CCUSA is recruiting individuals to join the Federal Immediate Disaster Case Management Team.
published by Amber Alles on Wed, 05/08/2013 - 10:53
Whether you work in a factory, a bank, at a construction site, or for an airline, the process of planning for a disaster is virtually the same. Having a solid disaster plan with an Emergency Response Manual (ERM) is key to determining how a business survives and recovers. No matter the type of workplace, disaster planning should take an "all-hazards" approach that demonstrates the flexibility to respond to any disruption in business continuity.
published by Amber Alles on Fri, 05/10/2013 - 09:47
Employee assistance coordinators or benefit planners who wish to add an EAP component to complement their company health insurance plan face the decision of choosing between an on-site (i.e. internal) or off-site (i.e. external) model, or a hybrid of both. How does one know which option is best?
published by Amber Alles on Mon, 05/13/2013 - 11:46
FEI is sponsoring the Helping Veterans Return to Work: Best Practices for Behavioral Health Practitioners conference that will take place on June 7 from 9 am to 4:30 pm at Rutgers University. This free conference for behavioral health and EAP professionals will focus on a comprehensive approach to veteran’s health that attends to physical, emotional, social, spiritual, and financial dimensions. Led by nationally recognized experts, the program will engage participants through keynote, panel and workshop sessions on best practices for helping returning combat veterans reconnect with work, family, and community. Participants will receive information on the best approaches to assessment and service provision and helpful knowledge and resources regarding when and how to refer.
published by Amber Alles on Thu, 05/16/2013 - 12:06
For years, news was shared through sound bites, reporter stand-ups and anchor chatter. The editorial process behind the business of news-gathering dictated a certain pace and also ensured a certain level of reliability and objective accuracy. Today, that approach has been replaced by one that is 140 characters long, and social media websites like Twitter and Facebook have become the most active and volatile method of dispersing information in a crisis.
