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: This resource, hosted on the site of the US VTT, is a detailed outline of an 8-session curriculum for peer support among staff in trauma work who have personally experienced violence or trauma. Alongside education around Secondary Traumatic Stress (STS; another term for vicarious trauma), this resource provides self-care and organisational strategies for workers, and includes clear activities in handouts.
The curriculum is divided into eight sessions, as follows:
What's the evidence base for this resource: While there is no published evaluation of this curriculum or the resources it contains, the resource was created by advocates and clinicians at the Center for Violence Prevention and Recovery at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, which is a teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School.
Potential uses and limitations: This resource is intended as the curriculum for an 8-session peer support and training group for workers who have experienced violence and trauma. This resource may be useful for supervisors as inspiration for conversations during supervision, or for any worker to consider the impacts of their personal identities and/or histories upon their professional role working with clients who experience trauma. The resource provides several tools for self-assessment and reflection.
While the curriculum includes sessions for participants to brainstorm organisational changes, it is not itself a primary resource.
Where it comes from: This resource is designed by the Advocate Education and Support Project, which is part of the Center for Violence Prevention and Recovery at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, Massachusetts. The resource was uploaded to the US Vicarious Trauma Toolkit's Compendium of resources.
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: Created specifically for the US Vicarious Trauma Toolkit, this resource provides succinct recommendations for organisations considering developing peer support programs. The resource is less than two pages, and defines two types of peer support ('peer-to-peer support' and 'peer supervision') before listing recommendations for program development.
The tips include:
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 no citations are given for the portion of the resource that provides recommendations for program development.
Potential uses and limitations: This resource provides brief, clear information regarding peer support and recommendations for implementing a peer support program in an organisation. It may be of particular use to managers looking for a quick introduction to the topic. Due to its brevity, the recommendations do not go in depth and thus managers may have to look elsewhere for more detailed recommendations or guidelines for implementing a program in their organisation.
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 Peer Support Guidelines for a Vicarious Trauma-Informed Organization. This article was prepared by the Office for Victims of Crime.
Description: This resource provides guidelines on forming and maintaining a peer support program for public safety employees in the United States, but may be of use to any organisation considering developing a peer support program.
The sections include:
The guidelines list the following examples of applicable activities for a peer support person, including but not limited to:
What's the evidence for this resource: This is not an academic resource and no evidence is provided. However, the resource was ratified by the Police Psychological Services section of the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP).
Potential uses and limitations: These guidelines are a practical, detailed resource for organisations considering implementing a peer support program. While detailed, its ratification in the United States suggests that some of the legal information contained within may not be immediately applicable to the Australian context. Further, the guidelines stand alone without evidence of its suggestions working well in practice.
Where it comes from: These guidelines were ratified by the Police Psychological Services section of the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) in 2011.
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: The website for (ISTSS) The International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies dedicated to sharing information about the effects of trauma and the discovery and dissemination of knowledge about policy, program and service initiatives that seek to reduce traumatic stressors and their immediate and long-term consequences.
The online learning library is the best place to start exploring this site.
Potential uses and limitation: Comprehensive range of training and professional development resources for workers in trauma-related fields. NOTE that some resources may require a subscription, however there is also a Free Resource section:
Where it comes from: International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies
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: A collection of Resources to challenge Gender-Based Violence in the workplace.
Includes information sheets, videos, industrial resources and training resources that can be used in your workplace.
https://saferespectfulworkplaces.com/
What's the evidence base for this resource: Based on the experience of union organisers who have fought for action and change on gender based violence in Australian workplaces. The training resources are developed by union trainers, who are continually revising the material based on feedback from workers in training sessions and current best practice.
Potential uses and limitations: Useful where gender based violence has been identified as a problem in a workplace. Can be used to initiate discussions, deliver training, or organise for industrial change (for example, having gender based violence recognised in workplace agreements). Union delegates and HSRs may find these resources particularly useful.
Where it comes from: Victorian Trades Hall.
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: 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
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: Overview and link to registration for Blue Knot's Managing Vicarious Trauma training workshops.
Their one-day Managing Vicarious Trauma interactive professional development training "explores the nature, dynamics and risks of vicarious trauma (VT), contrasts it with burnout, post-traumatic stress disorder and compassion fatigue, and supports you to stay healthy and safe in your work with people impacted by diverse traumas"
What's the evidence base for this resource: Not applicable.
Potential uses and limitations: "It is appropriate for all workers who work with trauma clients and/or are exposed to traumatic material such as other people’s trauma stories, reports with trauma content, reading material, legal reports, compensation claims, visual trauma material and media content"
Where it comes from: The Blue Knot Foundation is an Australian organisation that supports adults who have experienced childhood trauma.
Description: Overview of Vicarious Trauma as it relates to Auslan/sign language interpreters, especially in health and legal settings.
The content is relatively introductory educational material.
What's the evidence base for this resource: Does not refer to the literature. However the information is broadly consistent with the evidence and accepted practice.
Potential uses and limitations: A useful prompt to think about the impacts and supports for this group of workers, whose needs are often overlooked. Includes information on how to access a specialised support service for interpreters.
Where it comes from: The National Auslan Interpreter Booking & Payment Service (NABS)
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: A well regarded collection of articles and other resources providing a wide range of information related to current trauma knowledge. Very useful tool for self-guided learning, and for training resources.A well regarded collection of articles and other resources providing a wide range of information related to current trauma knowledge. Very useful tool for self-guided learning, and for training resources.
What's the evidence base for this resource: The site is specifically dedicated to providing evidence based, current learning resources for professionals working in the trauma field.
Potential uses and limitations: While excellent for learning about trauma in general, unfortunately not a lot that is specifically about VT.
Where it comes from: http://www.trauma-pages.com/
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: 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: Training material in pdf format on themes of resilience, vicarious trauma, self-care.
What's the evidence base for this resource: Draws on credible, established references.
Potential uses and limitations: Could be used/adapted to run introductory in-house training on resilience and VT. Is necessarily 'broad' in terms of suggested strategies, but it does cover organisational factors and emphasizes the importance of shared power and decision making process.
Individual slides could be used. While the content is usable, some slides would need to be re-formatted for presentation.
Where it comes from: Credited to Katherine Manners and Lisa Tieszen, available for download from the US VTT.
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