Transcript What are the Signs of Secondary Trauma?
Taking Care of Yourself, Your Staff, and Your Colleagues:
A Workshop on Preventing and Addressing Secondary Trauma
A n g e r Manipulation Denial M I n I m I z a t I o n Lack of Empathy Victim Blaming
What Causes Secondary Trauma?
When sex offenders who are under supervision treat
US
as they treat their victims . . .
in a manipulating, denying, and blaming fashion . . .
WE
may feel victimized and abused
What Causes Secondary Trauma?
Dealing with sex offenders can distort our perceptions of normal behavior
Listening to sex offender disclosures is emotionally draining and extremely difficult
What Causes Secondary Trauma?
Recognizing and firmly confronting an offender’s manipulation and abuse of power is part of our work
The use of our own “official” power sometimes violates our own sense of how people should be treated
What Causes Secondary Trauma?
Working constantly with deceit and manipulation,
and being a frequent target of it
, can create within us a sense of distrust of others
Feeling responsible for community safety can be very burdensome and taxing
What are the Signs of Secondary Trauma?
Feeling distrustful of others, both inside and outside our jobs
Feeling overly responsible for the safety of the community
Overusing our own coping skills
Feeling isolated
What are the Signs of Secondary Trauma?
Denying our own needs in the face of “all the work that must be done to protect others”
Relationship problems
Physical Symptoms of Prolonged Stress MILD FORM
Headaches Heartburn
Gastrointestinal problems Skin rash/hives Lower immunity High blood pressure EXTREME FORM
Migraines Gastric ulcers
Colitis Eczema Heart attack Stroke
Stress Resistance
PERSONAL CONTROL:
Improve problem-solving
Identify problem(s)
Develop & prioritize possible solution strategies
Implement one possible strategy
Evaluate proposed solutions
Stress Resistance (cont’d) LIFE STYLE CHOICES:
Healthy diet
Regular exercise
Regular relaxation SENSE OF HUMOR
Have fun, laugh and joke but be careful about “morgue” humor
Stress Resistance (cont’d) DEVELOPING & MAINTAINING CARING ATTACHMENTS REALISTIC GOAL SETTING MAINTAINING PURPOSEFUL MEANING IN LIFE
Burnout . . .
“Burnout is the physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion caused by long-term involvement in emotionally-demanding situations and prolonged stress.” —Pines & Aronson (1988)
RELENTLESS RESPONSIBILITY
BURN-OUT SELF TEST
Burnout Self-Test
20-40: 41-50: 51-60: 61-70: 71-80: No indication of burnout potential (but if less than 30, not being challenged) Have good balance Got some warning signs Mild burnout; probably developing physical symptoms BURNOUT !!!
Burnout Warning Signs
Depression
Feelings of inadequacy or incompetence; self-critical
Cynicism and pessimism
Loss of compassion
Discouragement
Chronic fatigue
Irritability and inflexibility
Combination of Factors
Nature of work
Nature of the offenders and crimes worked with
Cumulative exposure to case facts
Organizational context of work
Social and cultural context of work
Personal Contributing Factors
Unrealistic professional expectations
Personal history of trauma
Current stressful personal life
Personal coping strategies that don’t help and carry heavy costs
Unfounded belief about the value of stoicism at work
How Are We Affected?
Everyday our jobs force us to see the human potential for cruelty
We experience strong reactions of grief, rage, and outrage
Reactions grow as we repeatedly hear about & see people’s pain & loss
Begin to alternately experience over whelming feelings & numb ourselves to get through the day
Secondary Trauma: Basic Elements
Not traumatized
directly
Suffer
gradual
increase of exposure
Second-hand exposure (multiplied crime after crime, case after case) can be traumatizing
Parallels experience of PTSD
Can potentially reduce effectiveness & shorten tenure
Warning Signs
Generalized anxiety & depression
Sleep disruptions / nightmares
Intrusive imagery / thoughts
Dissociation / depersonalization
Most Common Methods Used to Reduce Anxiety & Depression
Eating
Drinking
Medicating (legal and illegal)
Smoking
Sleeping
Exercise or frantic activity
Withdrawal
Trauma Resilient Agencies
How can we create agencies that are more supportive and trauma-resilient?
How Can the Effects of Secondary Trauma be Mitigated (by the agency)?
Provide agency support for professionals who work with this population
Provide sex offender specific training for professionals who work with this population
How Can the Effects of Secondary Trauma be Mitigated (by the agency)?
Train management staff to understand the dynamics of sex offending behavior and issues associated with secondary trauma
How Can the Effects of Secondary Trauma be Mitigated (by the agency)?
Establish and maintain clear boundaries and expectations regarding issues of power Provide a safe forum for professionals to discuss all aspects of sexual assault and sex offender management
How Can the Effects of Secondary Trauma be Mitigated (by the agency)?
Create an environment in which staff members are not afraid to laugh Send a clear message that an offender’s failure is
NOT
the officer’s failure
How Can the Effects of Secondary Trauma be Mitigated (by the agency)?
Stay aware of changes in the field Provide a safe forum for professionals to air differences and resolve conflicts
How Can the Effects of Secondary Trauma be Mitigated (by the agency)?
Be flexible in assigning officers to supervise sex offender caseloads
How Can the Effects of Secondary Trauma be Mitigated (by the agency)?
Create a collaborative process so that decisions are team-based Maintain clear work boundaries and policies
Trauma Resilient Employees
What Can We Do As Individuals?
ABCs of Addressing Secondary Trauma:
Awareness
Be self aware; know your own trauma map
Take care of yourself Create a self-care list and post it prominently in your home or office
Inventory your current lifestyle choices & make necessary changes
Sample Self-Care List
Be creative
Get “away”
Get outside, appreciate the weather
Enjoy other environments
Have fun
Socialize
ABCs of Addressing Secondary Trauma:
Balance
Give self permission to fully experience emotional reactions
Maintain clear work boundaries Set realistic goals for self Seek out new leisure activity (non job related)
ABCs of Addressing Secondary Trauma:
Connection
Listen to feedback from colleagues, friends & family members
Avoid professional isolation
Remember your spiritual side
Develop support systems
Don’t wait until you are suffering from
secondary trauma or burnout
to start taking care of yourself !
CELEBRATE LIFE and take care of yourself!