Description: This resource from Rose Brooks Center (the largest domestic violence agency in Missouri, USA) is a sample of key practices in 10 areas used to "engage staff, build strength, collective resilience, and at the same time improve services for survivors" (pg. 1).
The headings for the key practices are as follows:
1- Hiring process
Organised and thoughtful hiring process
Staff onboarding and new hire training
2- Staff/employee performance evaluation
3- Support to address trauma exposure (secondary trauma)
Staff wellness
Organisational response to vicarious trauma
Flexibility/work-life balance
4- Compensation
Salary
Leave time
Benefits
5- Staff development
Meaningful and challenging development plans
Training
6- Leadership strategies
Integrate staff retention into agency policy, formal practices, and resource development
Staff involvement and feedback to inform staff retention strategies
Leadership conducts annual evaluation of factors impacting staff retention, quality of services, and sustained agency operations
7- Workplace environment and culture
Space
Employee feedback/input
8- Communication
Management transparency
9- Organisation staff meetings
10- Clear mission and values
Sense of purpose in the workplace
What's the evidence base for this resource: This resource is a sample of Rose Brooks Center's policies and procedures, and does not provide any evidence itself. However, the agency is recognised by accrediting bodies as adhering to best practice standards and has won awards for its services.
Potential uses and limitations: This resource is a useful high-level map of organisational strategies to enhance employee support/engagement and address vicarious trauma. It does not provide detailed guidance for any particular issue, but may serve as inspiration or generate ideas on organisational and workplace strategies.
Where it comes from: This resource was presented as a handout within the webinar 'Strategies to Enhance Employee Resilience and Engagement within Survivor-Serving Organizations' hosted by Futures Without Violence in May 2020. Rose Brooks Center's Chief Operating Officer was one of three presenters in the webinar.
Rose Brooks Center is the largest domestic violence agency in the American state of Missouri. The agency has 100 employees and reaches approximately 15,000 individuals annually.
Description: This 1.5 hour-long American webinar (transcript included) from May 2020 features representatives from three organisations who share strategies that they use to increase employee engagement, mitigate burnout, build strength and collective resilience, and improve services for survivors. The facilitators also discussed strategies their organisations use to help staff adapt during COVID-19.
"After this webinar, participants will be better able to:
Strategies shared by the panellists and webinar participants include, but are not limited to:
What's the evidence base for this resource: This resource primarily draws on the practice experience of the panellists.
Potential uses and limitations: This webinar is aimed at Executive Directors, Program Directors/Managers/Coordinators, Supervisors, and Team Leaders. There is particular emphasis on how employees are coping during COVID-19, with many staff members working from home. While the webinar is framed as being about "staff retention", there is a focus on reducing or mitigating burnout, which is related to vicarious trauma.
Where it comes from: This webinar was facilitated by Jennifer White and Monica Arenas from Futures Without Violence, supported by a grant awarded by the Office on Violence Against Women within the U.S. Department of Justice.
Description: Created specifically for the US Vicarious Trauma Toolkit, this resource provides succinct guidelines for supervision in organisations where employees are exposed to vicarious trauma. Its recommendations for vicarious trauma-informed supervision fall under the following categories:
What's the evidence for this resource: The resource was developed by the Institute on Urban Health Research and Practice (now the Institute for Health Equity and Social Justice Research) at Northeastern University, a reputable university in the United States. References are provided, though not every recommendation has a citation.
Potential uses and limitations: This resource provides brief, clear guidelines for supervision in a vicarious trauma-informed organisation.
Due to its brevity, this resource does not give instructions on how to achieve its recommendations. For example, one guideline is to "Design a workplace that is safe, fosters collaboration, demonstrates respect for diversity, and acknowledges the importance of addressing VT on a regular basis" (p. 1). Managers and other readers may need to find other resources for further guidance on achieving these recommendations.
Where it comes from: The resource was developed for the US Vicarious Trauma Toolkit by Northeastern University's Institute on Urban Health Research and Practice (now the Institute for Health Equity and Social Justice Research), in collaboration with the Boston Area Rape Crisis Center.
The CPSU gratefully acknowledges the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Office for Victims of Crime, for allowing us to reproduce. in whole, the Supervision Guidelines for a Vicarious Trauma-Informed Organization. This article was prepared by the Office for Victims of Crime.
Description: This document describes the Safeguard Program implemented by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in the US. The Safeguard Program is a model for protecting and providing support to staff who view objectionable material in the workplace.
The Safeguard Program aims to assist staff members in developing the healthy coping skills necessary to maintain a positive work/life balance, using four main cornerstones: 1) the hiring procedure; 2) mandatory participation in the program; 3) use of an outside consultant; and 4) off-site staff support.
What's the evidence base for this resource: The Safeguard Program was developed by a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and a Licensed Professional Counsellor, both of whom have significant professional experience working with people who have experienced trauma. In 2010, an evaluation of the Safeguard program showed that employees benefited from the program.
Potential uses and limitations: The resource describes policies and procedures that encompass the recruitment stage, individualised support, peer support, psychoeducational training, and post-employment support. While aimed at staff members viewing objectionable material, the content may be relevant for any organisations where staff are exposed to vicarious trauma.
However, this document merely summarises the Program rather than going into depth describing the content of the policies and procedures. A further limitation is that, though an evaluation showed that staff members benefited from the Safeguard Program, many also felt overwhelmed by the amount of services it required.
Where it comes from: The program is run within The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in the US. The resource was compiled by two employees experienced in trauma work.
Description: Presentation of a PhD study (slides and notes in pdf format) into the relationships between Job Demands (e.g. workload), Job Satisfaction, Job Control, Organisational and External Support (e.g. effective supervision, family networks), and Burnout.
The research was via a survey with 167 Forensic Interviewers whose role is to interview children that have made disclosures of abuse.
See p39 of the document for the summary.
Key points:
Burnout and Job-Satisfaction can co-exist, however higher levels of Job Satisfaction predict lower Burnout.
The higher level of Job Control, the higher the level of Job Satisfaction.
The more support (both external and organisational), the less Burnout is reported.
What's the evidence base for this resource: The study was accepted for a PhD dissertation through West Chester University, Graduate Social Work Dept.
Potential uses and limitation: Specific focus on forensic interviewers in North Eastern States of USA. While the findings are useful, the study is not intended to prescribe detailed interventions that can be implemented.
Where it comes from: PhD Candidate, Christina M. Chiarelli-Helminiak. West Chester University, Graduate Social Work Dept.
Description: What does it mean, and what does it cost, to make a complaint? This question is at the heart of Sara Ahmed’s research into institutional power and forms the basis of this lecture. Ahmed has embarked on a new research project, outside institutional academia, that was sparked by the bruising experience of trying to improve the university’s complaints process. Her new study, drawing on oral and written testimony from dozens of complainants, has much to teach us about the structures and mechanisms of institutional power. It’s a timely topic during this moment of reinvigorated feminism and reports of systemic harassment on Australian university campuses.
CONTENT WARNING: Some of the case studies involve descriptions of sexual harrasment and sexual assault.
What's the evidence base for this resource: In 2016 the acclaimed British-Australian academic resigned from her prestigious post as Professor of Race and Cultural Studies at Goldsmiths, University of London. Her resignation was in protest against the university’s failure to address the problem of sexual harassment. This lecture presents findings from her subsequent ongoing research with people who have made complaints in University settings.
Potential uses and limitation: While Ahmed's research focussed on Universities, the themes are relevant to any large institutions that involve hierarchical structures and power imbalances between staff members. It raises crucial questions about the limitations and pitfalls of institutional complaint mechanisms, and how the person raising the complaint is often let down or, worse, targetted for further mistreatment.
Where it comes from: Lecture presented at the Wheeler Centre, Melbourne 2018.
Description
This organisation for humanitarian workers provides information, training, and literature on vicarious trauma, burnout, secondary traumatic stress, and resilience.
Link to Headington Institute, Vicarious Trauma section
What's the evidence base for this resource
The training material and other resources have been developed by a highly experienced group of clinicians and researchers with extensive expertise in the trauma field.
Potential uses and limitations
The main focus of the Headington Institute is workers and organisations providing humanitarian aid.
However much of the material would be useful across a range of contexts.
Includes a fully downloadable training package including worksheets, handouts and video links.
The role of organisational responses is noted and some suggestions are made, however are not as detailed as the sections focussing on self-care.
There are some useful questions to guide reflection for managers and supervisors.
Where it comes from
The Headington Institute partners with humanitarian relief and
development organizations and emergency responders, before, during, and
after deployment in order to ensure the wellbeing of individuals. Our
team of psychologists, many with over 30 years of clinical experience,
bridge cutting edge academic research with practical application at the
field level, in order to strengthen the impact of humanitarian response
and promote the long-term wellbeing of humanitarian personnel. Based in the US.
Description
Written for women working in anti-violence fields (e.g. domestic violence, child abuse, sexual assault). Uses a strong gender lens and the specific challenges for women workers in these fields.
What's the evidence base for this resource
Based on the author's 8 months of consultations with expert workers in the sector, the Canadian National Advisory Committee on Family Violence. The author was contracted by the Centre for Research on Violence Against Women and Children in London, Ontario, The University of Western Ontario, to produce this report for the Family Violence Prevention Unit, Health Canada.
Potential uses and limitations
The resource is intended for women workers in anti-violence work. Some of the content is also quite specific to the Canadian context. Also note that the publication date is 2001.
Covers topics ranging from individual self-care practices, to organisational strategies. The uniquely feminist perspective, with an emphasis on gender and social justice, sets this apart from many other trauma related resources. The section on organisational strategies includes sections on:
Feminist Philosophy
Social Justice
Organizational Structure
Staffing
Human Resources Policies and Practices
Training
Administrative and Support Staff
Hiring
Orientation and Training
Personal Relationships of Staff
Supervision
Retreats and Celebrations
Exiting Gracefully
Where it comes from
Published by National Clearinghouse on Family Violence, Canada. Some of the content does apply specifically to the Canadian context.
Description: Comprehensive resource book including information about Vicarious trauma and related issues. While many of the practical tools are for individual level reflection, there is clear discussion about risk factors and protective factors in the work environment. Also addresses the broader community context, including cultural practices and social inequality. Includes worksheets and reflection guides.
Chapter headings:
Definitions
Biology of Stress and Trauma
Signs and Symptoms
Risk Factors
Protective Factors
Resilience and Self-care
Reflective Practice
Taking Action
What's the evidence base for this resource: Based on comprehensive literature summaries and extensive consultation in the field.
Potential uses and limitation: The resource is created for Early Childhood services, however much of the content is relevant for all types of trauma-related services.
The practical tools (e.g. worksheets, assessment guides) tend to be geared towards individual level self-care, even though the work environment is clearly discussed as a key factor.
Where it comes from: Best Start Resource Centre, Ontario, Canada.
Description: Chapter about how organisations can foster a culture of self-care and compassion. While highlighting the importance of individual self-care, equal emphasis is placed on the role of organisational practices in supporting staff to do so. Supporting staff in this way is viewed as a component of providing high quality services to client, rather than a competing demand.
What's the evidence base for this resource: The chapter is an excerpt from the book TheUC San Francisco Trauma Recovery Center Model: Removing Barriers to Care and Transforming Services for Survivors of Violent Crime. Edited by Stacey Wiggall, LCSW & Alicia Boccellari, Ph.D. Produced in collaboration with Allen/Loeb Associates (Version 1: March15, 2017)
Potential uses and limitation: Is aimed at Trauma recovery/crisis response services. However the suggestions about organisational practices to support staff self-care are relevant to a range of service types.
Where it comes from: The UC San Francisco Trauma Recovery Center.
Description: A guidebook addressing researchers whose topic is sexual violence, and the institutions that employ researchers. Proposes a Socio-Ecological Model, identifying Risk Factors and Protective Factors at the Organisational, Project, and Individual level.
https://www.svri.org/sites/default/files/attachments/2016-06-02/SVRIVTguidelines.pdf
What's the evidence base for this resource: (From the preface) This document has been developed by a group of passionate researchers who care greatly about this work, and recognise how important it is to acknowledge the toll this work can take on us.
The writing group included international researchers, practioners and advocates working the field of sexual violence.
Potential uses and limitations: As the title suggests, it is aimed at researchers and the research field.
However the principles are applicable more broadly, and the Socio-Ecological Model is a useful framework. Broadly speaking the suggestions are at a Secondary
Prevention level. The exposure to trauma is accepted as inevitable, and the
focus is on how organisations and project leaders can support
researchers through bolstering the Protective Factors. There are also
some generic self-care tips for individual workers.
Where it comes from: Guidelines for the prevention and management of vicarious trauma among researchers of sexual and intimate partner violence. (2015). Sexual Violence Research Initiative. Pretoria: South Africa
Description (article abstract): This study identified workplace factors associated with secondary traumatic stress (STS) in a sample of 148 domestic violence advocates working in diverse settings. Findings indicate that co-worker support and quality clinical supervision are critical to emotional well-being and that an environment in which there is shared power—that is, respect for diversity, mutuality, and consensual decision making—provides better protection for advocates than more traditional, hierarchical organizational models. Furthermore, shared power emerged as the only workplace variable to significantly predict STS above and beyond individual factors. The discussion includes implications for practice and policy as well as directions for future research.
https://doi.org/10.1177/1077801209347469
What's the evidence base for this resource: Published in peer reviewed academic journal.
Potential uses and limitations: Discusses the importance of worker empowerment as a key protective factor. Could be a useful discussion starter where workers report severe lack of control and power in the workplace.
Where it comes from: Slattery, S. M., & Goodman, L. A. (2009). Secondary Traumatic Stress Among Domestic Violence Advocates: Workplace Risk and Protective Factors. Violence Against Women, 15(11), 1358–1379.
Description: This presentation describes the key clinical features of PTSD, including
the current diagnostic criteria, accompanying clinical presentations,
functional outcomes and common comorbid conditions that present with
PTSD.
The talk presents data on the prevalence and presenting
features of PTSD across varying workplace settings, including
first-responders (paramedics, fire-fighters, police), defence, primary
health care settings, drug and alcohol services, and forensic settings.
Prevalence
rates and important issues for consideration are highlighted in
relation to PTSD in these workplace settings and the heterogeneity of
PTSD presentations are highlighted.
What's the evidence base for this resource: The presenter, Professor Kim Felmingham, is a recognised academic expert on workplace related mental health issues. We have a high level of confidence that the information presented is accurate and reliable.
Potential uses and limitation: Concise information on the prevalence of workplace trauma across a range of workplaces. Briefly summarises some of the evidence regarding organisational culture as a protective factor, and what organisations can do to support workers dealing with trauma exposure.
Where it comes from: Recorded as part of WorkSafe Tasmania PTSD: "Mental Health Matters" Conference, 14th October 2019.
Content Warning:
These videos address issues relating to post
traumatic stress disorder and other mental health conditions. Please be
aware that presentations may contain content and imagery that may be
confronting or cause distress.
Description: Fear based models of PTSD have dominated research and clinical approaches to PTSD since the 1990s. The role of overwhelming horror, injustice, embitterment and shame emerge as alternative pathways to traumatic stress injury and the role of such emotions in addition to exposure to ‘life threat’. This session will provide attendees with an overview of research in moral injury which aims to expand treatments for PTSD to better address role of these forms of traumatic stress injury.
What's the evidence base for this resource: Professor Zachary Steel is a recognized academic researcher at the University of New South Wales. We have a high degree of confidence in the information presented.
Does not provide any advice on how this could be addressed at an organisational/primary prevention level.
Where it comes from: Recorded as part of WorkSafe Tasmania PTSD: "Mental Health Matters" Conference, 14th October 2019
Content Warning: These videos address issues relating to post traumatic stress disorder and other mental health conditions. Please be aware that presentations may contain content and imagery that may be confronting or cause distress.
Description: This set of Supervisory Guides provides advice on creating trauma informed workplaces that are disability inclusive for both staff and clients.
The four themes covered are:
Part 1: Hiring
Part 2: Onboarding New Staff
Part 3: Supervision
Part 4: Supporting Staff with Boundaries and Safety
Downloadable from the Boston Area Rape Crisis Center website.
What's the evidence base for this resource: These are practice based resources, developed from the experiences of partner organisations.
Potential uses and limitation: They are best used along with in-person, interactive training to allow executive leadership, human resources, and supervisors the opportunity to practice skills and discuss challenges and ideas with each other. Particularly helpful to support supervisors prepare for conversations about both accessibility and vicarious trauma with new staff members.
Where it comes from: US based coalition MASS (Movement for Access, Safety & Survivors),
Description: The (US based) Resiliency Project engaged researchers, educators, and
practitioners from the child abuse field in a collaborative effort to
develop, implement, and evaluate an organisationally based program to
build resiliency in staff and volunteers. Twelve service organisations participated in the project.
Key to the project were the pilot "resiliency coaches" who evaluated all training and technical assistance products related to the organisational program model.
The model identified 5 key themes- self-knowledge and insight, sense of hope, healthy coping, strong relationships, and personal perspective and meaning- that can be promoted in the culture of organisations.
What's the evidence base for this resource: Evaluation conducted by the Institute on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault (IDVSA) at the University of Texas School of Social Work.
Potential uses and limitation: It includes
examples of specific interventions implemented under the categories of
Policy, Supervisory Technique, and Competency-based Training. There are a range of training and reflection exercises that could be useful in supervision contexts. Suggested practice examples range from personal reflections, through to policies that promote staff well being.
Where it comes from: Institute on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault (IDVSA) in the Center for Social Work Research, School of Social Work
Description: This Webinar is aimed at professionals in primary care, mental health and human services settings who work with young people who have experienced trauma and injustice at some point in their lives.
Rather than focusing on specific self-care strategies, it advocates for a framework of ‘self-care’ that includes the role of organisational responsibility in maintaining staff wellbeing in this space.
What's the evidence base for this resource: Mostly based on the clinical practice experience of the presenter, with references to relevant research and literature sources.
Potential uses and limitations: Discussion starter for staff, supervisors and mangers. There are specific suggestions for supervision practices and workplace measures, from about 46m30s.
Where it comes from: Orygen National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health.
Description A Queensland Program of Assistance to Survivors of Torture and Trauma (QPASTT) Guidebook (2016)
The content is therapeutically informed, and addresses those providing direct support to people who have experienced torture and trauma. There is a clear message that VT is not a sign of 'personal weakness', but a natural human response to repeated exposure to human suffering. It is intended to be a resource for people who are affected by the stories and experiences of the refugee and asylum seekers who they work with.
What's the evidence base for this resource. Is essentially an accessible narrative summary of some of the key research and theory references in the trauma and vicarious trauma field.
Potential uses and limitations Focus is on individual level impacts and self-care. There is a brief
discussion on the theme of Vicarious growth and satisfaction. Could be useful for supervisors. There is only a brief summary of organisational responsibilities but these are not detailed enough to provide any substantial guidance for primary prevention strategies.
Where it comes from: Queensland Program of Assistance to Survivors of Torture and Trauma
Description Discussion paper with a focus on workers in the sexual assault sector.
What's the evidence base for this resource Based on a narrative review of relevant research literature, and interviews with Australian sexual assault counsellors. This was not a formal research study but provides some 'practice insight' from workers in the field.
Potential uses and limitations: Includes a section highlighting organisational support to prevent and address vicarious trauma.
Could also be useful for supervision.
Where it comes from: 2007 paper from the Australian Centre for the Study of Sexual Assault (a now defunct department of the Australian Institute of Family Studies).
NSW Domestic Violence and Rape Crisis Services offers online professional training for organisations, clinicians, supervisors and managers. The training is provided on a fee for service basis.
Description: Information page on prevention of workplace stress and trauma covers the topics:
What can I do if I'm experiencing work-induced stress or trauma?
What's the evidence base for this resource Does not directly cite any research literature. However 1800 Respect is a well established, high profile organisation and the information presented is broadly consistent with the evidence on staff wellbeing.
Potential uses and limitations The information is presented as dot point summaries of key themes. There are specific strategies suggested for primary prevention in relation to vicarious trauma. May be useful as a discussion starter.
Where it comes from 1800RESPECT is the Australian national sexual assault, domestic and family violence telephone counselling service.
Description: Australian webinar,
panel discussion with workers from Blue Knot Foundation, with a
particular focus on working with survivors of institutional child sexual
abuse. The content is directed primarily at therapists working with
people who
have experienced childhood sexual abuse. It may have limited relevance
for workers who are not providing therapy/counselling.
Note that it takes 10 minutes to get to content related to VT. The first 10 minutes or so are introductions to the panel and administrative matters.
Themes:
Heavily focused on individual level impacts and strategies for self-care for therapists.
Individual warning signs and differences between VT, PTSD, burnout, and compassion fatigue.
Continuum of impacts of VT.
Emphasises that exposure to trauma material is the primary risk factor for developing VT, rather than personal attributes.
Highlights
that VT is more of a risk when there is only one worker supporting the
client, rather than a network/community of support.
Speakers
acknowledge that supportive management is a protective factor, but give
insufficient details of what this involves in practice.
At times the focus of the panelists drifts from VT and on to the therapeutic needs of people who have experienced sexual abuse.
Talking points from Q&A section:
There is no metric for an ideal number of 'trauma clients' in a caseload. This might vary from day to day. The point is that organisation management and leadership have a sound understanding of the impacts that trauma exposure can have on workers. It is a false equation that more client contacts/appointments equals better performance. Organisations have an ethical obligation to resist KPI driven funding arrangements that are ultimately harmful to clients.
One panelist comments that the ethical thing for workers
to do, if they are not feeling 'strong and grounded', is to acknowledge
this. If the worker is not in a state to regulate their own responses
to trauma material, it is not ethical for them to engage a client to
explore deeply traumatic material.
Body based (somatic) healing as a crucial component of managing vicarious trauma.
See 59:40 for question/discussion about when you as a worker feel 'trapped in a toxic workplace' but cannot leave because of finances.
See 1h05m50s for differences between 'immediate' trauma symptoms and cumulative VT.
What's the evidence base for this resource: Primarily draws on practice experience of the panelists.
Potential uses and limitations: Discussion starter for group supervision around VT impacts and self-care. Could also be a prompt for managers and supervisors to raise their own awareness of organisational responsibilities regarding vicarious trauma.
Where it comes from The Blue Knot Foundation is an Australian organisation that supports adults who have experienced childhood trauma.
Description Chapter on Vicarious Trauma and self-care (Chapter 14, page 105) for GP's when working with patients experiencing abuse, violence and trauma.
What's the evidence base for this resource: Consistent reference to the research and relevant literature. Includes reference list.
Potential uses and limitation: Includes ideas for personal and organisational strategies to enhance protective factors: awareness, balance and connection. Many of the themes here are relevant across different types of organisations where trauma exposure is present.
Where it comes from: The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners 'White Book'.
Description: Downloadable fact sheet with brief explanations of common themes associated with vicarious trauma, and some tips for looking after yourself.
What's the evidence base for this resource: Is presented as a 'Factsheet' style resource. Refers to a small range of credible literature sources to support key points.
Potential uses and limitations: Although it acknowledges the organisational context, the focus is on individual workers awareness and self-care. Intended for workers in the sexual abuse field, however much of the information relates to trauma more generally.
Where it comes from: Knowmore, an Australian legal service set up to assist survivors of institutional child sexual abuse.
Description: Literature summary and discussion of key themes related to vicarious trauma.
Topics include:
Section one: DefinitionsWhat's the evidence base for this resource: While intended to be accessible to workers in the field, this resource does include a reasonably thorough amount of referencing to credible research and academic literature.
Potential uses and limitations Offers a variety of perspectives, from clinical to ethics-centred, to generate discussion and reflection. There are some general suggestions regarding supportive organisational practices, as well as personal self-care practices. Some of the infographics at the end are not particularly useful or relevant. Is a relatively lengthy read, although sections can be read individually.
Where it comes from: Australian based website livingwell.org.au which provides support and information to men who have experienced sexual abuse.
Description: This series of video presentations critiques the notions of 'burnout' and 'vicarious trauma'. Instead, Dr Reynolds suggests 'spiritual pain' as a more accurate term to describe what happens when workers are faced with the effects that oppression has on the lives of clients. She argues that the key question for workers and organisations is not 'how is your mental health?', but rather 'how are we treating each other?'
Dr Reynolds has also written about her approach to 'centring ethics' in supervision to explore the harms experienced by workers in this article which she has made freely available through her website.
Dr Vikki Reynolds is an activist/therapist who works to bridge the worlds of social justice activism with community work & therapy.
What's the evidence base for this resource: Dr Reynold's
experience includes supervision and therapy with refugees and survivors
of torture, sexualized violence counsellors, mental health and substance
misuse counsellors, housing and shelter workers, activists and working
alongside gender and sexually diverse communities.
Potential uses and limitation: Provides a perspective on "vicarious trauma" that challenges clinical, symptom focused frameworks. Useful for workplaces that place ethical considerations at the centre of their work, to think about how teams and organisations can develop effective practices of collective care and accountability.
Where it comes from: Dr Vikki Reynolds' professional development presentation for the BC Settlement and Language Service Providers' Provincial Meeting hosted by AMSSA, 2017.
Description: Useful model for a checklist of work related incidents that contribute to cumulative trauma.
What's the evidence base for this resource: Adapted from an academic research article published in the peer reviewed journal Traumatology.
Potential uses and limitations: Worksites can devise their own checklist based on their specific
context, identifying critical and potentially traumatic events that
occur in their site. The examples provided are of critical incidents, but could be adapted to the specific kinds of traumatic material encountered in a worksite, to provide a quantitative survey of trauma exposure.
WARNING: THE CHECKLIST ASKS DIRECT QUESTIONS ABOUT CRITICAL INCIDENT SCENARIOS THAT MAY BE CONFRONTING AND/OR DISTRESSING.
Where it comes from: Peer reviewed journal Traumatology.
Description: A special edition of a journal with a range of short articles related to Vicarious Trauma, Secondary Traumatic Stress etc.
Table of Contents
Overview
Helping that Hurts: Child Welfare Secondary Traumatic Stress Reactions, Charles R. Figley, PhD 4
Occupational
Hazards of Work in Child Welfare: Direct Trauma, Secondary Trauma and
Burnout, Kimberly K. Shackelford, PhD, LCSW 6
Secondary Traumatic Stress and Supervisors: The Forgotten Victims, Crystal Collins-Camargo, MSW, PhD 8
The Vicious Cycle: Policy, the Media, and Secondary Traumatic Stress, David Chenot, PhD, MDiv, LCSW 10
Media Influence on Development of Secondary Traumatic Stress in Child Welfare Workers, Kate Richardson, Dip SW, BA 11
Secondary Traumatic Stress in Child Welfare: Multi-Level Prevention and Intervention Strategies, Alison Hendricks, LCSW 12
Vicarious Traumatization and Work in Child Welfare Organizations: Risk, Prevention, and Intervention, Joy D. Osofsky, PhD 14
Best Practices
Preparing MSW Students for Practicing in Child Welfare, Ronald Rooney, PhD 15
Withstanding Secondary Traumatic Stress: The Role of Realistic Recruitment, Nancy S. Dickinson, MSSW, PhD 16
Screening for Secondary Traumatic Stress in Child Welfare Workers, Brian E. Bride, PhD, LCSW 18
A
Psychoeducation Model for Teaching Child Welfare Practitioners to Dump
Their Secondary Traumatic Stress Buckets, Josephine Pryce, PhD, MSW 19
What Can Child Welfare Workers Do about Vicarious Trauma?, Laurie Anne Pearlman, PhD 20
Social Support in the Workplace and Secondary Trauma, Anita P. Barbee, MSSW, PhD 21
Going
Beyond Self Care: Effectively Addressing Secondary Traumatic Stress
Among Child Protective Staff, Erika Tullberg, MPA, MPH, Roni Avinadav,
PhD and Claude M. Chemtob, PhD 22
The Secondary Trauma
Prevention Project: A Multilevel Systems Approach to Protect Child
Welfare Staff from Secondary Trauma, David Conrad, LCSW 23
Developing,
Continuously Improving, and Disseminating Culturally-Appropriate
Workplace Policies to Prevent and Mitigate Secondary Traumatic Stress
among Child Welfare Workers, James C. Caringi, PhD and Hal A. Lawson,
PhD 24
Perspectives & Collaborations
What's the evidence base for this resource: Peer reviewed journal.
Potential uses and limitations: Focused on child protection/welfare but much of the content has broader relevance.
Some articles include descriptions of organisational interventions. These are free to access academic articles, they are mostly written in a way that is relatively accessible to non-academic workers in the field.
Where it comes from: Link to journal (free to access via the US VTT site):
https://vtt.ovc.ojp.gov/ojpasset/Documents/OS_STS_Child_Welfare_Article_Review.pdf
Description: A range of resources related to the Professional Quality of Life (ProQOL) assessment tool.
What's the evidence base for this resource: The ProQOL is a widely used measure of Compassion Satisfaction and Compassion Fatigue. The training slides describe how the ProQOL conceptualises and measures these constructs. It is not a standardised psychological test.
Potential uses and limitations: Useful for organisations wanting to introduce ProQOL as a baseline measure to inform a broader organisational response. Note that the ProQOL does not measure Vicarious Trauma as a discreet construct, it measures Compassion Satisfaction and Compassion Fatigue (in two sub-scales: Burnout and Work Related Traumatic Stress).
Note that ProQOL, and this material, is mostly focussed on individual level factors.
Where it comes from© Beth Hudnall Stamm, 2009. See slide 1 for conditions of use in training and professional development.
Description: Website dedicated to educating caring professionals about Compassion Fatigue. Provides a range of information resources, mostly focussed on individual level self-care. Has link to the ProQOL assessment tool (Professional Quality of Life).
Includes a video presentation about the personal impacts and responses to Compassion Fatigue.
What's the evidence base for this resource: While the resources do not appear to be systematically appraised in regards to academic rigour, the site states that their aim is "gathering, documenting, and disseminating useful information that can be readily introduced into care giving environments in order to impact the lives of caregivers in a positive way".
Potential uses and limitations: Could be particularly useful for educating managers and supervisors interested in learning more about the personal impacts of Compassion Fatigue. The primary focus is individual level impacts and self-care.
Where it comes from: This project is founded by Patricia Smith, who is a leading US educator around Compassion Fatigue.
http://www.compassionfatigue.org/
Description: Fully structured training program about Building Resiliency that addresses individual as well as organisational factors.
Provides handouts, ppt slides, etc. Training can be tailored (e.g. half day, full day etc) and individual modules selected.
What's the evidence base for this resource: The training material draws on established evidence and consultation with experts in the field.
Potential uses and limitations: Can be utilised by management and leaders with responsibility for staff wellbeing to deliver training sessions on a range of related topics. Importantly, there are modules which address organisational responsibilities for managers.
Where it comes from: Developed by US Office for Victims of Crime Training and Technical Assistance Center "to support professional development, enhance services to the community, and expand outreach to under-served victims of crime".
The training materials can be downloaded from the US OVC website
Description: Describes the implementation of a staff self-care program across a large organisation. While many strategies were in some senses individual level, the key point was that the organisation provided the time and legitimacy for staff to participate in the activities.
Talking points:
p306: In an organisational setting, the assessment of personal trauma histories and other intra-individual characteristics typically is not appropriate or feasible.
p306: Hypothesis: Workers in organisations where there is little control over workload and sources of support (e.g., hospitals, outpatient public mental health clinics, government social services) and whose personal values may be in conflict with organisational goals (e.g., military mental health therapists, prison psychologists) would be more susceptible to burnout in comparison with workers who are self-employed, or where there is a better 'value fit'.
Link to abstract: http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0011000010381790
Description: US study of 192 child welfare professionals. Investigates the relationship between Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE's), resilience, and work environment and professional quality of life including compassion satisfaction, burnout, and secondary traumatic stress.
What's the evidence base for this resource: Academic research article published in peer reviewed journal.
Potential uses and limitations: Two significant findings:
1- Workers who reported more ACE's scored higher on Compassion Satisfaction and lower on Burnout.
This counters the 'intuitive' claim that more ACE's would lead to higher levels of burnout.
2- "Controlling leadership style" and low "Resilience" were the factors most correlated with higher burnout.
"We postulate that supervisors who are authoritative, rather than authoritarian, may be the most effective at providing the type of support that will produce the best outcomes for their employees"
Where it comes from: Published in Children and Youth Services Review, Volume 57, October 2015, Pages 141-148.
Link to abstract: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0190740915300335