Secondary Traumatic Stress: Resources for Organizational Strategies to Address STS

Secondary Traumatic Stress in Child Welfare Practice: Trauma-Informed Guidelines for Organizations [PDF],
Provides concrete strategies to assist leadership in child welfare organizations with approaching secondary traumatic stress

Secondary Trauma and Child Welfare Staff: Guidance for Supervisors and Administrators [PDF],
Tip sheet for child welfare supervisors and administrators on the importance of addressing STS, how individuals experience STS, who is at risk, and strategies for prevention and intervention.

Low-Impact Debriefing [PDF],
Debriefing is an important aspect of dealing with trauma and vicarious trauma—but we must remember that what we share also has an impact on the listener. One way to help ensure that we are not unwittingly traumatizing our colleagues and friends is to practice Francoise Mathieu’s Low Impact Debriefing strategy.

Why the Workforce Matters [PDF],
This one-pager gives a brief overview of child welfare work, explains what employee turnover means for a company, and provides necessary tips to keep employees in a healthy workplace.

Secondary Traumatic Stress [PDF],
This handout presents an overview of the literature on Secondary Traumatic Stress (STS) in the child welfare workforce, identifying common sources and symptoms of STS and suggestions for workers and agencies to help prevent and address it.

Multidimensional Workplace Stress Micro-Presentation [Video],
Understanding the complex sources of stress—from the workplace, in our personal lives, and from our personal histories—can help us address it effectively. Check out this 7-minute animated presentation to learn more.

Secondary Trauma and Child Welfare Staff: Guidance for Supervisors and Administrators [PDF],
This training manual provides information and tools to help child welfare staff identify, better understand, and address the ways child welfare work affects them personally and professionally. The intervention has a strong focus on how secondary trauma influences organizational cohesion and functioning, which requires the participation of all levels of staff, including leadership.