Surviving The Work How do we stay Engaged Tracy Harvey, MSW, RSW, Clinical Supervisor Addiction and Mental Health

Objectives  Increase awareness of vicarious trauma  Self-reflection  Exploration of resources

 Vicarious Trauma  Compassion fatigue  Secondary trauma  Burnout

Key Concepts of trauma and wellness  To practice compassion with others, we first need to practice it with ourselves  No one who works around or with trauma is untouched by it  Stress and grief reactions are normal responses  Interventions must be appropriate to the phase of recovery/ trauma  Support systems are crucial to recovery

Personal Impact of Secondary Stress/ Trauma  Cognitive  Emotional  Behavioral  Spiritual  Interpersonal  Physical

Impact of Secondary Stress/ Trauma on Professional Functioning  Performance of Job Tasks  Morale  Interpersonal  Behavioral

Dark emotions don’t go away. They simply come to us in whatever form we can bear. When we master the art of staying fully awake in their presence, they move us through suffering. We discover that darkness has its own light. Greenspan, 2003

Silencing Response  An inability to attend to client stories and/or experiences and instead to redirect to material that is less distressing for the professional. This occurs when the clients’ experiences/ stories are overwhelming, beyond the professional’s scope of comprehension and desire to know, or spiraling past their sense of competency. The point at which we may notice our ability to listen becoming compromised is the point at which the silencing response has weakened our efficacy. Baranowsky (2003)

Trauma Stewardship A daily practice through which individuals, organizations, and societies tend to the hardship, pain, or trauma experienced by humans, other living beings, or our planet itself. Van dernoot Lipsky, 2009

3 Levels of Trauma Stewardship  Personal  Most influential  Organizational Tendencies  Culture impacts  Perception of support  Response in workplaces  Societal Forces  Systematic oppression (laws, regulations, structural violence, etc)

Sustaining Ourselves in this work

Supporting your colleagues  Listen  Let them know if anything concerns you  If necessary, let someone else know (i.e. team leader)

Where & When to get support  Stage 1 (acute symptoms)  Colleagues  Team lead  Individual debrief  Other supportive people  Therapist (optional)  Stage 2 (on-going response)  Trauma therapist  Employee Assistance Program Compassion Fatigue is very responsive to treatment.

“I’m learning to relax, doctor – but I want to relax better and faster! I want to be on the cutting edge of relaxation!”

Welcoming Survivors Back to Work  How do we compassionately welcome people back  Maintain contact  Invite to social events  Be aware they may have fears or feel uncomfortable  Offer support/ compassion  Supervision  Critical  Transference/ counter transference  Confidence  Ensure they have access to any supports available  Suggest re-entry program if possible

Owning our story can be hard but not nearly as difficult as spending our lives running from it. Embracing our vulnerabilities is risky but not nearly as dangerous as giving up on love and belonging and joy – the experiences that make us the most vulnerable. Only when we are brave enough to explore the darkness will we discover the infinite power of our light. Brene Brown, 2010