Minnesota Association for Children’s Mental Health (MACMH) 2016 Supporting Staff in working with Families in Trauma
Minnesota Association for Children’s Mental Health
(MACMH) 2016
Supporting Staffin working with Families in Trauma
Learning Objectives
Participants will:
• Identify the different stress disorders associated
with working in families with trauma histories;
• Distinguish burnout and secondary traumatic
stress; and
• Practice strategies associated with preventing
stress
Introductions
• Small Group Exercise
What it is Not
• PTSD
• Bad Day
• Inability to see our impact
• Personal issues
• Secondary trauma is not burnout.
• Burnout is caused by increased workload and institutional stress
–Happens over time
–Time off or a change can remove or reduce it
What it is Not, cont.
• Vicarious trauma
• Compassion fatigue
• Secondary trauma
• Secondary victimization
Trauma by any other name…
What is Secondary Traumatic Stress?
• Exposed indirectly to trauma through hearing about
the firsthand trauma experiences of others
• A cumulative response to working with many trauma
survivors over an extended period of time,
• Or it may result from reactions to a particular client’s
traumatic experience.
Causes of Secondary Traumatic Stress• Facing the death of a child or adult family member on the worker’s
caseload
• Investigating a vicious abuse/neglect report
• Frequent/chronic exposure to emotional and detailed accounts by
children of traumatic events
• Photographic images of horrific injuries or scenes of a recent serious
injury or death
• Continuing work with families in which serious maltreatment,
domestic violence, or sexual abuse is occurring
• Helping support grieving family members following a child abuse
death, including siblings of a deceased child.
Causes of Secondary Traumatic Stress• Exposed to traumatic or life threatening events of
their own
• Intense verbal or physical assault by clients or
community members
STS is exacerbated by:
• Feelings of professional isolation,
• Frequent contact with traumatized people
• Severity of the traumatic material
– direct contact with victims,
– exposure to graphic accounts, stories, photos, and
things associated with extremely stressful events.
• Dealing with the pain of children
Symptoms of STS
• Inability to face complexity
• Avoidance of clients, inability to listen to clients
• Increased fatigue or illness,
• Social withdrawal,
• Reduced productivity,
• Feelings of hopelessness,
• Despair
Symptoms of STS, cont.
• Nightmares,
• Feelings of re-experiencing of the event, having
unwanted thoughts or images of traumatic events,
• Anxiety,
• Excess vigilance,
• Avoidance of people or activities, or
• Persistent anger and sadness
• Changes in feelings of safety,
• Increased cynicism, and
• Disconnection from coworkers and/or loved ones
• Managing boundaries,
• Dealing with their emotions
• Have anxiety for their own children and irritability
toward their colleagues and family.
Symptoms of STS, cont.
How STS affects workplace
• Higher rates of physical illness,
• Great absenteeism,
• Higher turnover,
• Lower morale, and
• Lower productivity.
Risk Factors• High caseload demands,
• A personal history of trauma,
• Limited access to supervision,
• Lack of a supportive work environment, and/or
• Lack of a supportive social network.
Prevention through Professional Strategies• Psychoeducation,
• Balanced caseloads,
• Accessible supervision,
• Planned assignment rotation,
• Access to peers,
• Continuing education,
• Access to new information
Prevention through Agency Strategies• Sufficient leave time,
• Safe physical space,
• Good supervision,
• Destigmatize trauma reactions through
organizational recognition or acknowledgement,
• Promotes timely mental health support, and
• Access to employee assistance program
Prevention through Personal Strategies
• Respecting your limits,
• Taking time for self-care,
• Teaming,
• Venting v. Fomenting, and
• Be wary of volunteering in a similar type of work
Personal Strategies
Reflective Supervision
• Stepping back from work
• Emotional content of the work
• Professional’s responses as they affect interactions
with clients
• Safety, calmness, and support
• Learning environment
• Not therapy
Protective factors
• Self-nurturing
• Seeking connection
• Social support network
• Outside interests
Interventions
• Strategies to evaluate secondary stress
• Cognitive behavioral interventions
• Mindfulness training
• Reflective supervision
• Caseload adjustment
• Informal gatherings following crisis events (to allow for voluntary, spontaneous discussions)
• Change in job assignment or work group
• Referrals to Employee Assistance Programs or outside agencies
Resources and References
• National Child Traumatic Stress Network
– www.nctsn.org