Victim Services Division

Employee Support Services (ESS)

Stress and trauma may be an inherent part of the job, however TDCJ staff do not need to navigate their experiences alone. The goal of the Employee Support Services (ESS) section is to provide peer support, mental health services, advocacy, and resiliency training to all TDCJ staff, thereby equipping them with the skills for managing work-related stress and helping maintain a quality of work-life balance.

Regional Employee Support Services Offices
ESS has six offices located in each one of the Correctional Institutions Division regions. The offices are in Huntsville, Palestine, Angleton, San Antonio, Lubbock, and Waco. Each office has a multi-disciplinary support team comprised of a Crisis Response Intervention Support Program (CRISP) Coordinator, a Staff Victim Advocate, a Mental Health Clinician, and a Resiliency Trainer.

Regional CRISP Coordinators
The Regional ESS CRISP Coordinators are available to provide immediate crisis intervention and support. In addition, the Regional Coordinators provide CRISP training to TDCJ staff who are peer volunteers and demonstrate the willingness to help support and assist staff members.

Service provisions include:

• Peer support
• Information and referrals to community-based resources
• Post-critical event response/support
• Referral to an ESS Regional Mental Health Clinician
• CRISP training
• Coordinates with both unit and field CRISP Team Leads

Staff Victim Advocates
The Staff Victim Advocates assist staff who become victimized. The role of a Staff Victim Advocate is to provide victim assistance and help navigate the emotional and physical needs of a crime victim.

Service provisions include:

• Assist staff in exercising their mandated rights as a crime victim
• Provide information on the criminal justice process
• Assist with Crime Victims’ Compensation
• Assist with a Victim Impact Statement
• Provide court accompaniment if the case goes to prosecution
• Connect staff with community resources
• Serves as a liaison for victims with the Office of Inspector General and the Special Prosecution Unit

Regional Mental Health Clinicians
The ESS Mental Health Clinicians are available to provide short-term mental health support for both work‑related and personal challenges. TDCJ offers licensed clinicians to support staff in managing stress, recovering from difficult events, and supporting emotional well‑being. Services are confidential and available to any staff member who may need assistance.

Service provisions include:

• Counseling
• Emotional support
• Assistance after critical or stressful events
• Support during Staff Impact Team responses
• Referrals to community-based services or support
• Opportunities to engage in wellness initiatives
• Coordinates with CRISP teams for comprehensive care

Regional Resiliency Trainers
The ESS Resiliency Trainers are available to create and facilitate training that equips staff with practical skills to better manage day-to-day work responsibilities, organizational changes, and work-life balance. The trainers can adapt and customize training tailored to the needs of the requested division, section, or department.

Service provisions include and are not limited to:

• Facilitating round table discussions
• Designing and delivering training courses on:
  • Trauma
  • Burnout/Compassion Fatigue
  • Stress Management
  • Self-Care
  • Resiliency

Staff Wellness Toolkit
ESS encourages all TDCJ staff to engage in wellness and self-care, the building blocks essential to work-life balance and paramount to creating a resilient lifestyle. The Staff Wellness Resource Library provides links to helpful tools and information for TDCJ staff to explore topics that include coping strategies such as breathing techniques and other mental health-related skills, along with topics like nutrition and physical health and even resources for veterans, families, spouses, and significant others. To access the Staff Wellness Toolkit either follow the link: Staff Wellness Resources Customer Self-Service or scan the QR code below:

To locate the regional team in your area you can either click on or move your cursor over your assigned region for team contact information.

Staff may also contact the regional team through the ESS general e-mail: VSD.Employee_Support_Services@tdcj.texas.gov or by calling the VSD hotline number: 800-848-4284. The hotline number is answered Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.