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Secondary Trauma
Also called secondary traumatic stress or vicarious trauma, secondary trauma can occur when a professional experiences stress or symptoms of trauma when working with traumatized children and families. The following resources address the challenges professionals face in these situations and ways to cope with secondary trauma.
Compassion Fatigue: Secondary Traumatic Stress Disorder, Burnout, Vicarious Trauma (PDF - 526 KB)
National Resource Center for Adoption
In Adoption Competency Curriculum: Trainer's Guide
Includes trainer preparation materials for a module that teaches participants to identify causes and symptoms of compassion fatigue, techniques for self-care, and tips for surviving
compassion fatigue. Also available: Participant's Handbook (PDF - 636 KB)
Compassion Fatigue: An Expert Interview With Charles R. Figley
Figley & Gould
Medscape Psychiatry and Mental Health, 10, 2005
Presents an interview with the director of the Florida State University Traumatology Institute about the frequently overlooked trauma and stress experienced by those in rescue and help operations.
The Cost of Caring: Secondary Traumatic Stress and the Impact of Working With High-Risk Children and Families
ChildTrauma Academy
Online training course designed to present an overview of secondary traumatic stress and teach child welfare workers approaches and strategies to decrease risk for developing trauma-related symptoms.
Educating Child Welfare Workers About Secondary Traumatic Stress (PDF - 237 KB)
Pryce, Shackelford, & Pryce (2007)
In Secondary Traumatic Stress and the Child Welfare Professional
Discusses strategies for educating child welfare professionals on how secondary traumatic stress differs from burnout, how it arises, and intervention options.
Managing Stress as a Child Welfare Caseworker: Caseworker Readiness Activity (PDF - 502 KB)
Institute for Human Services & Ohio Child Welfare Training Program (2010)
Identifies and discusses factors that may cause and increase stress for caseworkers.
Mental Health in Child Welfare: A Focus on Caregivers
National Child Welfare Resource Center for Family-Centered Practice
Best Practice/Next Practice: Family-Centered Child Welfare, Winter, 2004
View Abstract
Addresses the effects of secondary traumatic stress and the ways in which the child welfare system can support professionals, parents, and other caregivers.
Promoting Resilience and Reducing Secondary Trauma Among Child Welfare Staff (PDF - 1116 KB)
ACS-NYU Children's Trauma Institute
Describes a project to mitigate the impact of secondary traumatic stress among child protective staff in New
York City, and thereby increase staff job satisfaction, resilience, optimism, self-care and social support, and decrease staff attrition, stress reactivity and burnout.
Secondary Traumatic Stress: A Fact Sheet for Child-Serving Professionals (PDF - 724 KB)
National Child Traumatic Stress Network (2011)
Outlines options for assessment, prevention, and interventions relevant to secondary stress, and describe the elements necessary for transforming child-serving organizations and agencies into systems that also support worker resiliency.
Secondary Traumatic Stress and the Child Welfare Professional
Pryce, Shackelford, & Pryce (2007)
View Abstract
Explores the secondary trauma experienced by child welfare professionals, describes symptoms of secondary trauma stress, and offers treatment and intervention strategies.
Secondary Traumatic Stress in Child Welfare Workers: Exploring the Role of Supervisory Culture
Bride & Jones
Professional Development: The International Journal of Continuing Social Work Education, 9(2), 2006
View Abstract
Examines relationships between symptoms of secondary traumatic stress and child welfare workers' perceptions of the culture of supervision in their organizations.
Stress, Social Support, and Workers' Intentions to Leave Their Jobs in Public Child Welfare
Nissly, Mor, Michál, & Levin
Administration in Social Work, 29(1), 2005
View Abstract
Present results of a study examining the relationships among stress, social support, and intention to leave their job in public child welfare workers.
A Systemic Response to Secondary Traumatic Stress
Kahn
Common Ground, 25(1), 2010
View Abstract
Explains the secondary traumatic stress experienced by child welfare professionals and efforts by the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families to create a systemic response to secondary traumatic stress.
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Secondary trauma and child welfare workers
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