Title: Secondary Traumatic Stress - Child Welfare Information Gateway
Headings: Secondary Traumatic Stress
Secondary Traumatic Stress
Spotlight on Secondary Trauma and Professionals’ Well-Being
Episode 4: Secondary Traumatic Stress [Podcast]

Content: Secondary Traumatic Stress - Child Welfare Information Gateway
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Burnout, Compassion Fatigue, and Secondary Traumatic Stress
Secondary Traumatic Stress
Secondary Traumatic Stress
Secondary traumatic stress (STS) can occur when a professional experiences high stress or symptoms of trauma when working with people who have experienced trauma that mimic posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms. People with careers in the helping professions, like child welfare workers and child welfare-related professionals, are particularly vulnerable to experiencing STS. The following resources provide further understanding of what STS is, its impact, how to identify symptoms, and how it can be prevented and mitigated on an individual and organizational level. The Cost of Caring: Secondary Traumatic Stress and the Impact of Working With High-Risk Children and Families (PDF - 894 KB)
Perry (2014)
ChildTrauma Academy
Presents an overview of secondary traumatic stress and teaches child welfare workers, as well as leaders, approaches and strategies to decrease risk and prepare for intervention of secondary traumatic stress. The resource utilizes case examples to describe secondary trauma and breaks down the symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder that secondary traumatic stress can mimic. Reducing Burnout, Enhancing Resilience & Caring for Self/Others in Child Death Review (PDF - 866 KB) [Presentation Slides]
Klomp (2018)
National Center for Fatality Review and Prevention at the National Child Death Review Conference
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Discusses the impact of witnessing and hearing about trauma in the context of child death reviews and the importance of resilience and self-care. Various types of stressors and the human response to them are discussed. Additional resources are also provided. The Relationship Between Vicarious Trauma and Turnover Among Child Welfare Professionals (PDF - 526 KB)
Middleton & Potter (2015)
Journal of Public Child Welfare, 9 (2)
Explores the relationship between child welfare workers experiencing vicarious trauma and their intent to leave their job.