Faculty and Staff Assistance Program Events

Balancing Elder Care and Self-Care: Maintaining Well-Being in Challenging Times

Feb 28; noon- 1 p.m.
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Caregiving can be deeply meaningful but also mentally and emotionally demanding. Over time, the stress of supporting others—whether aging parents, loved ones, or both—can lead to exhaustion, burnout, and a sense of being overwhelmed. This webinar will explore the psychological impact of caregiving, common emotional responses, and practical ways to manage stress while maintaining well-being.

We will also discuss the sandwich generation, a term used to describe those caring for both aging parents and their own children, and the unique challenges this dual role presents.

To close, we will offer a special meditation for caregivers, designed to help reduce stress and promote emotional balance. Whether you're providing hands-on care or coordinating support from a distance, this session will provide insights into protecting your mental health while caring for others.

Join Dr. Ana Dolatabadi from the Faculty and Staff Assistance Program (FSAP) for this wellness hour.

Burnout or Boundaries?: Setting the Stage for a Balanced Year

March 14; noon- 1 p.m.
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You asked and we listened! Please join us for the second installment of the popular "Burnout or Boundaries" Webinar series. Start the New Year with the information and skills you need to set yourself up for balanced wellbeing in 2025.

Do you ever just…need a minute? Have you felt like the “go to” person on a professional team or at home? Do you keep thinking about ways to problem-solve issues long after others have given up?

Well…then you might be a highly skilled person who is also at high risk for burnout. 

Being excellent doesn’t have to include burnout. 

This free webinar series is specifically designed to help you capitalize on your strengths without sacrificing your sanity. Psychological research and common sense generally agree that taking time to assess and address our ever-changing personal needs, work-life balance, and general wellbeing is not a one-time event. 

Our upcoming lunch-time immersion webinar on Burnout & Boundary Setting focuses specifically on navigating a New Year with new challenges.

This month’s Mental Health Webinar will utilize empirically reviewed psychological theory and skills focused on the effective assessment, planning, and integration of setting and maintaining our personal limits as they directly support our overall wellness, including:

1. Reviewing common myths about burnout & boundary setting
2. Sharing specific tools for assessing our (current) specific areas of growth
3. Exploring a variety of skills designed to help us more effectively engage at work and at home
4. Creating an individualized plan for preparation, integration, and reassessment of our wellbeing throughout the year

 FSAP Presenter: J Allanson

Jessica Allanson, PhD, MA, is a licensed clinical psychologist with the Faculty and Staff Assistance Program at UCSF and runs the FSAP Post-Doctoral Fellowship Program. She has been providing mental health support, behavioral health education, and substance abuse services in institutions around the SF Bay Area for over a decade. Dr. Allanson specializes in recovery from substance use and workplace burnout, more recently focusing on supporting individuals who work in "helping" careers (including healthcare) as well as high-achieving/high-intensity populations (including leadership). Dr. Allanson believes in the power of compassionate education and hopes to use her passion for teaching to support and empower those willing to learn.

The Fight Against Fear: Protecting Yourself When Physically Threatened

March 21; noon- 1 p.m.
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When we feel physically unsafe, our body and mind react in ways designed to protect us. These physiological, cognitive, and behavioral responses can be helpful in avoiding danger, but they can also distort our perceptions, leading to ineffective or distressing reactions. Prolonged feelings of unsafety can have a significant impact on our well-being, overall health, and sense of security.

This webinar, co-sponsored by UCSF’s Threat Management Team and the Faculty Staff Assistance Program, will cover practical steps to protect yourself and respond effectively when faced with a physically threatening situation. We will also discuss self-care strategies for coping with the stress of such encounters. Additionally, we will provide insights into institutional safety resources that are available to protect against physical threats and violence.

Join us to learn how to stay prepared, protect yourself, and navigate these challenging experiences with greater confidence.

Presenter: John Brown, Psy.D., UCSF Threat Management Team Lead

FSAP's virtual Mindfulness-Based Self-Compassion Program returns for Spring 2025. Join FSAP clinicians for a virtual eight-week mindfulness course to help:

• Reduce anxiety and stress
• Increase mental resilience and distress tolerance
• Decrease self-defeating thought patterns
• Increase experiences of happiness and productivity

Those interested MUST attend an information session via Zoom on March 18th from noon-1 p.m. 

The course will be held Tuesdays from 3-4 p.m. (Dates: 4/1/25, 4/8/25, 4/15/25, 4/22/25, 4/29/25, 5/6/25, 5/13/25, 5/20/25).

Information Session Link

Questions? Please email: [email protected]