Every staffer who has worked in Congress the past two years personally knows and feels the stress created by the pandemic and the January 6 insurrection, and have noted the significant increases of threats to their bosses and their colleagues. Here's a chilling statistic that brings it home: in snap poll of about 90 staffers CMF conducted in April of 2021, 57 percent said that they receive insulting or threatening messages on a daily or near daily basis. It's hard to imagine any other profession that must withstand that level of verbal attacks, but it's not hard to imagine the impact it's having on the mental wellness of the congressional community.

While they cannot reveal exact numbers, House and Senate staff who counsel congressional staff have reported an increase in requests for their services as a result of the January 6 insurrection. As we approach the one-year mark since the January 6 attacks, mental health experts have said the date and news coverage will trigger painful memories and post-traumatic stress.

Next week we will face a scalding reminder of a shameful episode in American history, and a painful day for the congressional community. Managers do not have sit back and simply hope January 6, 2022 will just be another day at the office. They should prepare and be proactive in supporting staff who might need help. Congress should consider:

• Re-sending out contact information to support services and make sure staff know they should avail themselves of those services. For years CMF has detected a resistance on Capitol Hill to display vulnerability – politically and emotionally. Mental health professionals have counseled that leaving issues untreated is a formula for disaster. It will also lead to more people leaving Congress as a profession. Managers have a responsibility to ensure staff know what is available to them and that taking time to address mental wellness challenges is not a sign of weakness.
• Pausing live phone calls. The US Capitol Police report that the number of death threats against Members of Congress have doubled in the last year – up about 400 percent since 2015. There is simply no reason to take live phone calls – congressional offices can offer the same or better constituent service by allowing calls to go to voicemail, screening, and promptly responding. Moreover, if someone leaves a death threat on a voicemail, investigators will have more evidence to track down the attacker.
  
• Utilizing training/management services. The House and Senate have written and training resources you can tap into, as does CMF through our "Crisis Preparation and Response Center."
• Offering to facilitate group or one-on-one conversations. Some will feel the need to share, others may want professional help, some may not want to talk at all. Managers need to be ready to acknowledge any reaction as acceptable. Managers need to create safe spaces for these emotions and discussions and need to model the behavior themselves.
• Taking January 6 Off. Staffers may not be able to predict the emotions that will resurface on January 6, 2022 and may not be ready for it. Managers should issue a notice to staff next week: do whatever you want on January 6. If that's work at your desk, that's OK – but managers should not require it. Allow the employee to get through the day with whatever it takes – going for a walk, being alone, talking to their pastor – but it should be up to the staffer, not the manager.

If the moral reasons for using one or more of these methods are not persuasive, then consider the managerial reasons and office benefits for doing so. Employees who receive this type of support are less likely to leave congressional service, and staff turnover reduces your offices and Member's effectiveness.

And for those who may believe that only those who were on the Capitol campus can be susceptible to the effects of January 6, let me offer this personal anecdote. Last week as I was preparing some material for our annual report and I wanted to review some video footage of the training program CMF hosted on January 14, 2021, eight days after the attack, "Managing Staff While Under Attack." Clinical psychologist and former Representative Brian Baird and former staffer Nicole Tisdale did a masterful job in offering practical guidance to managers. After a few minutes of watching the program, and they recounted how the events caused Members and staff severe trauma, my hand began to tremble and the tears began. I was back in January 2021, filled with pain, anger, and probably a thousand other emotions I could not articulate. This happened, even though on January 6 I was safe with my family in my home in Fairfax, VA.

January 6 was an attack on the entire congressional community, whether in Washington, Fairfax, Indianapolis, or Dallas. Managers can play vital and supportive roles to help their staffs cope next week and the weeks beyond. And while you're at it – assess your own well-being. Managers and congressional leaders need the same level of support as any other human being traumatized by this horrific event in their lives and in the life of our republic.

One final positive note. In that same snap poll referenced at the top of this column was another revealing statistic: 73 percent of the respondents said they feel frustration at "not being able to help as much as I'd like." Even in the face of racist rants, grueling work, and death threats, the public servant's heart in those congressional staffers doesn't waiver – it still wants to do more to help constituents. While next Thursday will be a difficult day for all of us to weather, have faith that we will, and that the heart and spirit of the congressional community is stronger than ever.