1:12 p.m., October 15, 2024

Grief Counseling for SMC Employees

The following bulletin was sent to SMC employees at 1:12 p.m. on October 15, 2024 on behalf of Sherri Lee-Lewis, Vice President, Human Resources and Susan Fila, Dean of Health & Wellbeing (Interim)

Dear SMC Colleagues:

Following the horrific shooting that took place at the SMC Center for Media & Design last night which left a longtime colleague in critical condition, Santa Monica College is making individual grief/crisis counseling available to employees immediately:

How to Contact Crisis/Grief Counselors at Empathia, a Crisis Support Service Retained by SMC

  • Call the 24/7 hotline: 877-841-1080

  • The line will be answered with a message: “Counseling Line, how may I help you?” Share that you are associated with Santa Monica College. You will then receive immediate phone support provided by a master’s level clinician. 

Future in-person and group sessions will also be made available; monitor your college email for further details. Please note that as usual, the Employee Assistance Service for Education (EASE) provides free, short-term counseling to SMC colleagues who may be facing issues including emotional distress, grief, and more:

We urge you to make use of these resources as we try to make sense of the unspeakable tragedy that has occurred here at the college. 

Sherri Lee-Lewis, Vice President, Human Resources
Susan Fila, Dean of Health & Wellbeing (Interim)