Double Vision

Vicarious Trauma In A Traumatized Society

Michelle Bonds-McKinnie, LCPCbondsm@metrofamily.org

Metropolitan Family Services

Define Vicarious Trauma and its impact on

Social Service Professionals Discuss Risk Factors Describe Physical/Psychological Signs Provide strategies to utilize while in the Field

of Social Service

Objectives

Her StoryFacing Trauma: A Rape Victim’s ScarsListen to the story www.youtube.com

Most traumatic stories will stay with the social

service professional. It will be used as a reference in a consultation, used as an example in a story, and/or processed in supervision. It is not often left at the families’ doorstep or the doors leaving the office. IF HE/SHE IS NOT CAREFUL, it is possible the TRAUMATIC EVENT is a cloud that follows….

Trauma

Around 1990 Dr. Laurie Pearlman and Lisa

McCann coined the term Self-Reported symptoms noted by Dr.

Pearlman: Loss of Positive energy Change from her usual “happy”

demeanor Reduced optimism

Vicarious Trauma………The Beginning

Vicarious trauma is the process of change that

happens because you care about other people who have been hurt, and feel committed or responsible to help them. Over time this process can lead to changes in your psychological, physical, and spiritual well-being.

www.headington-institute.org/VicariousTrauma

Vicarious Trauma is not Burn-Out or Compassion Fatigue

Cont……

Burn-out Emotional and physical exhaustion resulting exposure to environmental and internal stressors Inadequate coping and adaptive skills. exhaustion, Increasingly negative attitude toward his or her job, Low self-esteem, Personal devaluation.

The term “burnout” was coined in the 1970s by the American psychologist Herbert Freudenberger. He used it to describe the consequences of severe stress and high ideals experienced by people working in “helping” professionshttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/burnoutsyndrome

Vicarious Trauma VS.

Inner experience is negatively transformedEmpathetic engagement with client’s traumatic materialUnresolved personal traumaFlashbacksRepeatedly visualize the event

1990 Dr. Pearlman & Lisa McCann

Compassion FatigueFocus on others without practicing self-care, destructive behaviors can surface. Apathy, isolation, Bottled up emotions http://www.compassionfatigue.org/

Carla Joinson, RN, coined the term in 1992 while researching burnout in emergency department nurses

Review the vignette & answer the following

questions:

What are the physical signs? What are the psychological signs? What is key in recognizing the signs?

One person will report for the group.

Group Exercise15 minutes

Inability to identify personal roadblocks Lack of comfort with trauma and intense affect Ineffective strategies Not attuned to clients Lack of resources for clients Lack of an effective self-care regimen Environment Lack of support for social service professional

Risk Factors

On-going Self-Assessments Understanding Transforming Vicarious Trauma Making a Vicarious Action Plan Self-Care Maintenance Plan Supervision Anticipate Obstacles

Strategies

The ABC’s: Important Themes

Awareness---identify and understand Balance---personal needs/work demands Connection---people/personal self

http://www.headington-institute.org/VicariousTrauma

Strategies

http://www.headington-institute.org/VicariousTrauma

http://traumaticstressinstitute.org/interview-with-dr-laurie-pearlman-on-vicarious-traumatization/

http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/burnout

http://nursing.advanceweb.com/ny-nj-ct-ma-me-ri-vt-nh-free-magazine/Regional-Content/Articles/Compassion-Fatigue.aspx

http://www.socialwork.buffalo.edu/students/self-care/developing-maintenance-plan.asp

http://www.canyouhearme.org/Self-Care_Assessment_Worksheet.pdf

Resources

Prevention of Vicarious Trauma: Are Coping Strategies Enough? Angie

Gerdin. http://sophia.stkate.edu/msw_papers/27

McCann I.L and Pearlman, L.A (1990) Vicarious traumatization: A framework doe understanding the psychological effects of working with victims. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 3 (1) 131-149

Child Trauma: A Workshop for Child Welfare and Child Protection Caseworkers Resource Guide 2007

Fundamentals of Trauma Processing CME Resource 2012www.NetCE.com

Vicarious Trauma and Resilience CME Resource 2013www.NetCE.com

Resources cont.