Taking Care of Taking Care of Yourself, Your Staff, Yourself, Your Staff,

and Your and Your Colleagues:Colleagues:

A Workshop on A Workshop on Preventing and Preventing and

Addressing Addressing Secondary TraumaSecondary Trauma

A n g e rManipulation

Denial

M I n I m I z a t I o n

Lack of EmpathyVictim 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 skillsFeeling 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-solvingIdentify problem(s)Develop & prioritize possible

solution strategiesImplement one possible strategyEvaluate 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: No indication of burnout potential (but if less than 30, not being challenged)

41-50: Have good balance51-60: Got some warning signs61-70: Mild burnout; probably

developing physical symptoms71-80: BURNOUT !!!

Burnout Warning Signs

DepressionFeelings of inadequacy or

incompetence; self-criticalCynicism and pessimismLoss of compassionDiscouragementChronic 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 / thoughtsDissociation / depersonalization

Most Common Methods Used to Reduce Anxiety & Depression

Eating Drinking Medicating (legal and illegal) Smoking Sleeping Exercise or frantic activity Withdrawal

Trauma Trauma Resilient Resilient AgenciesAgencies

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 Trauma ResilientResilient

EmployeesEmployees

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 creativeGet “away” Get outside, appreciate the

weatherEnjoy other environmentsHave funSocialize

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!