Title: Secondary Traumatic Stress | The Administration for Children and Families
Headings: Secondary Traumatic Stress
Secondary Traumatic Stress
What is Secondary Traumatic Stress?
Common Compassion Fatigue Symptoms
Why Secondary Traumatic Stress is Important for Human Services Agencies
Relevant Interventions and Approaches
Individual Prevention Strategies to Consider:
Organizational Prevention Strategies to Consider:
Resources for Further Learning
References

Content: Why Secondary Traumatic Stress is Important for Human Services Agencies
Understanding secondary traumatic stress (STS), its effects on staff, and how to alleviate its impact is of concern to agency and organizational leaders. Being exposed to traumatic and troubling events, sometimes on a daily basis, influences one’s personal and professional lives. Staff acquire different ways to cope – some are adaptive, others are not. STS can decrease staff functioning and create challenges in the working environment. Some of the documented negative organizational effects that can result from STS are increased absenteeism, impaired judgment, low productivity, poorer quality of work, higher staff turnover, and greater staff friction. Relevant Interventions and Approaches
Addressing compassion fatigue needs to occur at both the individual and organizational levels and falls into two categories: prevention and treatment. Helpers can adopt lifestyle and work habits that help them maintain strong practice approaches and personal boundaries that can be protective in relation to a helping role. Sometimes even the most seasoned and personally balanced professionals find themselves struggling with secondary traumatization. Individual Prevention Strategies to Consider: