School Personnel & Secondary Trauma
Preventing and mitigating secondary traumatic stress in public school personnel
The effects of childhood trauma reach further than the child and their family. Childhood trauma can also affect the culture and climate of a public school or school system. Educators, counselors, social workers, and other school personnel who work with students exposed to trauma may be at risk of being indirectly traumatized as a result of exposure to the ongoing narratives of their students’ trauma. This type of trauma is referred to as compassion fatigue or secondary traumatic stress – being physically, mentally or emotionally exhausted or feeling overwhelmed. The Trauma Responsive School Project desires to reduce the effects of childhood trauma on the culture and climate of public schools by preventing and mitigating secondary traumatic stress on its school personnel.
Five videos were taped by the RS team and an educational toolkit was developed. These videos discuss trauma and Adverse Childhood Experiences, Neurobiology of trauma, Self-care strategies, Resilience, and Team Care. Each video has corresponding group discussion questions and journal prompts in addition to helpful handouts such as the self-care wheel and self-care plan. The intervention also included a tiered approach for mental health intervention should it become necessary for school personnel.
