1.17.23 – APFA EAP Peer Support Program

Tuesday, January 17, 2023

APFA EAP Peer Support Program

The APFA Employee Assistance, Professional Standards, and Critical Incident Response Team Program continues to evolve. We’d like to offer an update on the support and assistance available.

A Peer Support Representative may be reached by calling the APFA EAP Helpline at (833) 214-2002, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. A list of APFA EAP Base Representatives may be found here.

Employee Assistance (EAP)/ Professional Standards (PS) 
Updates to the EAP and PS programs began in early 2022. In August of 2022, a recruitment hotline was released, offering Flight Attendants the opportunity to join the APFA EAP Peer Committee. The number of applications far exceeded the available slots in the first EAP/PS training class.

What is the APFA EAP Peer Committee?
APFA’s Employee Assistance Program (EAP) consists of Flight Attendants volunteering their time to support Flight Attendants and their family members, offering confidential assistance with personal and work-related concerns.

Members of the APFA EAP will provide services offering emotional support, referral information, assistance with conflict resolution, and support following a traumatic event, both on and off the job.

Who are our APFA EAP Leaders, and what are their qualifications?

Flight Attendants Marcus Recarte and Deborah McCormick lead our Employee Assistance Program. Both Marcus and Deb have been trained by the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation (ICISF).

Phoenix-based Flight Attendant Marcus Recarte began his flying career with America West in 1998. He is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), and also earned his Masters in Social Work (MSW) from the University of Southern California School of Social Work in 2015.

Marcus began his volunteer work with peer EAP during his America West days and continued through the merger with US Airways. He transitioned from an EAP committee member to the chairperson of the Phoenix base. Marcus continued his service with the committee until the decision to return to school, following his passion for social work. After taking a sabbatical from peer services, Marcus has returned as the APFA EAP Specialist.

Boston-based Flight Attendant Deb McCormick joined Allegheny Airlines, a predecessor to US Airways, in 1974. She began her volunteer work during the US Air days and has continued to assist Flight Attendants ever since.

Deb is a Licensed Chemical Dependency Professional (LCDP), a credentialed Certified Employee Assistance Professional (CEAP), a National Certified Addiction Counselor Level II (NCACII), and is a Substance Abuse Professional (SAP) as outlined by the United States Department of Transportation. Deb has received the President’s Volunteer Service Award for over 20 years of volunteer service in advancing the well-being of Flight Attendants.

How many calls do our EAP Peer Support Representatives handle?