Newtons Law: Secondary Traumatic Stress
Melissa Kaiser, LBSW | September 20 | 1:45-2:45 pm
Topic: Conceptual, Direct Service | Knowledge Level: Beginner
Law enforcement, service providers, and medical responders experience sustained exposure to child maltreatment, sexual assaults, and human trafficking. This can lead to signs and symptoms of secondary traumatic stress (STS) due to the trauma that the helping profession witnesses. Due to the ongoing exposure to traumatic experiences, providers start to experience negative impacts on their everyday life. The resulting effects of STS can be devastating and include substance abuse, increased rates of suicide, marital distress, depression and anxiety, and decreased physical wellness. This session will primarily focus on learning more about our personal STS and gaining tools to assess STS to improve our wellbeing. Discussion regarding personal experiences, cultural changes within the workplace, and the normalization of STS and compassion fatigue will be a main priority during this session. Attendees will gain skills for resilience and a new perspective on the effects of the work.
Presentation Objectives:
· Assist attendees in understanding their own levels of compassion fatigue and secondary trauma through discussion and information on terms associated with secondary trauma and compassion fatigue
· Discuss the need to normalize impacts of high stress work and provide access to tools and resources to improve attendees’ personal and professional lives
Demonstrate how to advocate for culture change in the workplace by discussing the importance of leadership buy-in and tools to make a difference