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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)
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.
CW360°: A Comprehensive Look at a Prevalent Child Welfare Issue: Secondary Trauma and the Child Welfare Workforce (PDF - 2,386 KB)
University of Minnesota School of Social Work & Center for Advanced Studies in Child Welfare (2012)
Discusses several issues related to secondary trauma and worker performance, provides information on best practices to address this issue, and offers perspectives and collaborations including references and resources.
Does Job Resource Loss Reduce Burnout and Job Exit for Professionally Trained Social Workers in Child Welfare?
Smith & Clark
Children and Youth Services Review, 33(10), 2011
View Abstract
Examines the applicability of conservation of resources theory, which argues that a loss of resources leads to the stress underlying burnout. The article examines the loss of two resources: (a) the loss of a member of the entering cohort of workers and (b) the change in the co–ethnic population of the community in which the social worker practices.
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.
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.
Symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Among Child Welfare Workers Who Experience a Maltreatment Fatality on Their Caseload (PDF - 468 KB)
Douglas & Serino (2012)
Presents a factsheet that documents findings from a study whose purpose was to assess the knowledge, attitudes, practice concerns, and experiences with maltreatment fatalities as well as implications for post-traumatic stress symptoms among U.S. child welfare professionals.
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.
Vicarious Traumatization and the Need for Self-Care in Working With Traumatized Young Children
Osofsky (2011)
In Clinical Work With Traumatized Young Children
View Abstract
Defines issues of vicarious trauma and compassion fatigue for individuals who work with traumatized young children and their families; presents examples from different disciplines; and offers suggestions for individual and professional strategies for prevention and intervention, including the importance of self-care.
Working with Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse: Secondary Trauma and Vicarious Traumatization
Many & Osofsky (2011)
In Handbook of Child Sexual Abuse: Identification, Assessment, and Treatment
View Abstract
Discusses and explores secondary traumatic stress, vicarious traumatization, countertransference, and burnout of helpers and evaluators of survivors of child sexual abuse.
Library Search
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Secondary trauma and child welfare workers
Secondary trauma and worker burnout