The Importance of Managing Vicarious Trauma and Compassion Fatigue within Efforts to Support System Involved Youth

Waynette Brock and Melissa Wallace

Training Description

Identifying and understanding compassion fatigue and vicarious trauma, which are known as the “hazards of the trade,” is important to maintain wellness. Anyone who supports system involved youth and families are vulnerable to these hazards. Through this experiential training, participants will explore their own experiences with these subjects, learn ways to build resilience, and gain strategies to effectively prevent or manage them and improve outcomes for system involved youth.

In this training, we will discuss strategies for reducing risk of vicarious trauma and compassion fatigue and identify tools, techniques and ways to eliminate or diminish intrusive thoughts, feelings and behaviors that impact how we support system involved youth and their families. Participants will learn how to cope with the aftermath of traumatic incidents and spot the signs of trauma. The adverse consequences of supporting traumatized individuals have been described as vicarious trauma, secondary traumatic stress, and compassion fatigue, etc. Through lecture and breakout group discussions participants will identify the difference between compassion fatigue and vicarious trauma and create action plans to counteract the effect of these experiences, to improve the effectiveness of support for system involved youth and families.

Learning Objective

· Participants will be able to explain compassion fatigue and identify at least 2 risk factors for developing compassion fatigue.

· Participants will be able to identify three different ways in which boundaries add to healthy relationships and reduce the likelihood of vicarious trauma and compassion fatigue.

· Participants will be able to identify four techniques to reduce the risk of vicarious trauma.

Agenda 

10:00-10:10am  Welcome, Housekeeping, Agenda Review

10:10-10:45am  Building a Safe Learning Environment

· Activity: Identify Compassion Fatigue & Vicarious Trauma

10:45am-12pm Small Group Activity-Vicarious trauma & Compassion Fatigue: Signs & Strategies for coping

· What is resilience and how do we cultivate it?

12:00-1:00pm  LUNCH (CE hours will not be issued for this time)

1:00-2:30pm Strategies for reducing risk of vicarious trauma and compassion fatigue

· Exploring boundaries through healthy relationships

2:30-2:45pm BREAK (CE hours will not be issued for this time)

2:45-4:00pm  Action Planning for resilience

4:00-4:30pm Debrief, Written Evaluation, Close

Meet Our Trainers

Waynette Brock has lead peer teams focusing on high risk individuals and underserved populations such as those that are incarcerated, individuals seeking recovery from substance use disorder, and those with life threatening illnesses, as well as anyone who wants to make positive life changes. Waynette lives in Northern California and is the National Trainer for the Copeland Center for Wellness and Recovery.

Melissa Wallace is a published author and Advanced Level Mental Health Recovery Consultant. Currently responsible for National and International Mental Health Recovery, Community Inclusion & Wellness/Recovery Education programs, certification training, curriculum development, and sourcing of initiatives through implementation. Provides support for all operational aspects of the vendor management process while delivering strategic projects and leadership that provided key business insights for high-priority initiatives.

This course meets the qualifications for (5.25) BBS CE hours for LCSWs, LMFTs, LPCCs, and LEPs as required by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences & is provided by Fred Finch Youth Center, CAMFT Provider #045295.