313: Managing the Impact of Traumatic Stress on the Child Welfare Professional

The Pennsylvania Child Welfare Resource Center Learning Objectives Participants will be able to: Identify common terms associated with trauma relating to child welfare professionals; Recognize traumatic stress as an occupational hazard in the child welfare profession; Identify the symptoms of traumatic stress; Assess through self-reflection, the impact of both traumatic stress and personal strengths on one’s personal and professional life; and Develop strategies to manage traumatic stress and promote resiliency. 2

313: Managing the Impact of Traumatic Stress on the Child Welfare Professional The Pennsylvania Child Welfare Resource Center Agenda Welcome and Introductions What is Traumatic Stress? The Symptoms of Traumatic Stress The Impact of Traumatic Stress Strategies for Managing Traumatic Stress and Promoting Resiliency Summary and Evaluations 3

313: Managing the Impact of Traumatic Stress on the Child Welfare Professional The Pennsylvania Child Welfare Resource Center Quality Service Review Indicator 1a: Safety: Exposure to Threats of Harm Degree to which: The child/youth is free of abuse, neglect, and exploitation by others in his/her place of residence, school, and other daily settings. The child/youth’s parents and/or caregivers provide the attention, actions, and supports and possess the skills and knowledge necessary to protect the child/youth from known and potential threats of harm in the home, school, and other daily settings. 4

313: Managing the Impact of Traumatic Stress on the Child Welfare Professional The Pennsylvania Child Welfare Resource Center Carrying Darisabel 5

313: Managing the Impact of Traumatic Stress on the Child Welfare Professional The Pennsylvania Child Welfare Resource Center Yes, they are related. Culture and Traumatic Stress 6

313: Managing the Impact of Traumatic Stress on the Child Welfare Professional The Pennsylvania Child Welfare Resource Center On the Other Hand, Burnout… describes anyone whose health is suffering or whose outlook on life has turned negative because of the impact or overload of their work. (Rothschild, B. 2006) 7

313: Managing the Impact of Traumatic Stress on the Child Welfare Professional The Pennsylvania Child Welfare Resource Center Both conditions have similar roots. Both conditions involve the cumulative effects of stress. Both conditions elicit similar responses from affected employees. While trauma deals with exposure to clients’ trauma and our own trauma, burnout adds the daily stressors of functioning in the overall workplace. Burnout and Secondary Trauma - What’s the Difference? 8

313: Managing the Impact of Traumatic Stress on the Child Welfare Professional The Pennsylvania Child Welfare Resource Center Our exposure to trauma occurs daily because of repeated exposure to trauma, suffering and tragedy. The effect is cumulative, like exposure to radiation. It creates discernable changes in the employees in their physical health, psychological health, and spiritual well being. Traumatic Stress 9

313: Managing the Impact of Traumatic Stress on the Child Welfare Professional The Pennsylvania Child Welfare Resource Center Don’t Let Ideas Get Away! 10

313: Managing the Impact of Traumatic Stress on the Child Welfare Professional The Pennsylvania Child Welfare Resource Center Maladaptive coping strategies or additional challenges that may arise as a result of being exposed to traumatic events May be adaptive in the short term but also have the potential to interfere with an independent long-term recovery What are Secondary Adversities? 11

313: Managing the Impact of Traumatic Stress on the Child Welfare Professional The Pennsylvania Child Welfare Resource Center Don’t Let Ideas Get Away! 12

313: Managing the Impact of Traumatic Stress on the Child Welfare Professional The Pennsylvania Child Welfare Resource Center True or False? Social Work students report having experienced more traumatic events in early childhood than business students. TRUE 13

313: Managing the Impact of Traumatic Stress on the Child Welfare Professional The Pennsylvania Child Welfare Resource Center When a caseworker displays signs of traumatic stress, it indicates it is time to seek out another line of work. FALSE True or False ? 14

313: Managing the Impact of Traumatic Stress on the Child Welfare Professional The Pennsylvania Child Welfare Resource Center Caseworkers who have been exposed to traumatic stress are typically less effective caseworkers. FALSE True or False? 15

313: Managing the Impact of Traumatic Stress on the Child Welfare Professional The Pennsylvania Child Welfare Resource Center About 55% of child welfare professionals have at least one core symptom cluster (group of symptoms) of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Almost 16% of workers meet the criteria for PTSD. (Bride, 2007). Prevalence of Secondary Trauma in Our Work 16

313: Managing the Impact of Traumatic Stress on the Child Welfare Professional The Pennsylvania Child Welfare Resource Center What Impact Does Traumatic Stress Have on Us? 17

313: Managing the Impact of Traumatic Stress on the Child Welfare Professional The Pennsylvania Child Welfare Resource Center What Impact Does Traumatic Stress Have on Our Agencies? 18

313: Managing the Impact of Traumatic Stress on the Child Welfare Professional The Pennsylvania Child Welfare Resource Center Others that can be affected from our traumatic stress: Co-workers Our family Our friends How Exposure to Trauma Affects Others 19

313: Managing the Impact of Traumatic Stress on the Child Welfare Professional The Pennsylvania Child Welfare Resource Center Have you noticed the way I behave and appear to be different when I’m under pressure? Do I seem to be acting that way increasingly more and more of the time? What ways do you think my work is affecting me during the last week or year? From your point of view, how is this behavior change affecting you or other people that I care about? Assessing the Impact on Those that Support Us 20

313: Managing the Impact of Traumatic Stress on the Child Welfare Professional The Pennsylvania Child Welfare Resource Center The PROQOL Scale Assessing Risk and Impact 21

313: Managing the Impact of Traumatic Stress on the Child Welfare Professional The Pennsylvania Child Welfare Resource Center Don’t Let Ideas Get Away! 22

313: Managing the Impact of Traumatic Stress on the Child Welfare Professional The Pennsylvania Child Welfare Resource Center A person’s ability to “bounce back” from hardship or a difficult situation. (ACS-NYU, Children’s Trauma Institute, 2011). Resilience 23

313: Managing the Impact of Traumatic Stress on the Child Welfare Professional The Pennsylvania Child Welfare Resource Center Change the external circumstances that are provoking stress and trauma reaction. Change the internal approach or internal locus of control. Search for Support. Headington Institute, 2011 Strategies for Managing Trauma 24

313: Managing the Impact of Traumatic Stress on the Child Welfare Professional The Pennsylvania Child Welfare Resource Center Managing Physical Responses to Trauma 25

313: Managing the Impact of Traumatic Stress on the Child Welfare Professional The Pennsylvania Child Welfare Resource Center Managing Cognitive Responses to Trauma 26

313: Managing the Impact of Traumatic Stress on the Child Welfare Professional The Pennsylvania Child Welfare Resource Center Completing Your Trauma- Informed Self-Care Plan 27

313: Managing the Impact of Traumatic Stress on the Child Welfare Professional The Pennsylvania Child Welfare Resource Center Don’t Let Ideas Get Away! 28

313: Managing the Impact of Traumatic Stress on the Child Welfare Professional The Pennsylvania Child Welfare Resource Center Questions and Answers 29

313: Managing the Impact of Traumatic Stress on the Child Welfare Professional The Pennsylvania Child Welfare Resource Center Use Your Action Plan Often! 30