The Daily Bulletin Archive

Not all sabbaticals are about leaving campus to write a book. Sometimes, they are about doing something good and gaining experiences to share with students.

“Taking a sabbatical is an important experience to have,” said Rob Delprino, associate professor in the Psychology Department. “You develop a part of yourself, and then you have stories to tell. When you share your experiences, that’s how students can really learn.”

Delprino, an Advisory Council member of the New York Disaster Counseling Coalition (NYDCC), served as a facilitator for a number of couples weekend retreats organized with the New York City Police and Fire departments, and other emergency service groups. Intended for first responders—firefighters, emergency medical technicians, and law enforcement personnel—the retreats are designed to help those whose careers produce considerably more stress than most. After seeing how successful they were, he inquired about bringing the model to Western New York.

Once he received permission and got approval for a sabbatical, Delprino went to work organizing the “Renewing Relationships” retreat. He began planning early for the event, which culminated in an October 28–29 weekend at the Beaver Hollow Conference Center in Java, New York.

Thirty-five couples participated in the retreat, which was offered free of charge. Initially, Delprino said, most participants were hesitant to talk and needed to overcome the stigma of “counseling”—but by the end, each couple was transformed and even became close with the other couples. The feedback received afterward indicated that the weekend clearly helped strengthen—and in a few cases, rescue—relationships that were suffering.

“The hours and stress on these professionals puts a big strain on relationships. These jobs can change people, and divorce rates are high because of the demands,” said Delprino. “One might think, ‘Well, if they’re saving lives, shouldn’t they know how to deal with all of life’s other challenges?’ But that isn’t always the case. What this retreat did was give couples the tools to communicate. When they saw other couples facing the same problems, they learned that their situations weren’t as unique as they had thought.”

Delprino stayed on campus during his sabbatical, but was even busier than usual during his “time off.” First, he had to adapt the NYDCC program to Western New York, then book an affordable location for the retreat, recruit and train eight facilitators, find training materials for the facilitators, secure sponsors and donations, advertise the event, build goodwill with police and fire chiefs for added promotion to personnel, manage registrations and cancellations, and coordinate day-of-event activities such as audiovisual preparations. Facilitators were chaplains, Catholic Charities staff members, and other mental health professionals; sponsors included Tops Markets, the Seneca Nation of Indians, and others—many of whom helped to promote the event.

Delprino said the weekend was a complete success and helped couples reconnect. “The time to get away from everything allowed them to share real stories,” he said. “Once they felt that they were in a relaxed and safe environment, they started opening up and becoming couples again. Lots of healing took place that weekend.”

Also while on sabbatical, Delprino pursued a second-degree black belt in tae kwon do and volunteered at the Alterra Clare Bridge Memory Care Unit of Williamsville. Looking back, he said, the time passed quickly, and he missed teaching.

But “the sabbatical is an important experience to have—I’m grateful that Buffalo State offers it,” he said. “I think the retreat provided me with a better understanding of how public safety jobs affect the home. And now I can share these real-world experiences with my classes.”