10 Secrets of Healthy Trauma Organizations

Leadership, including Boards of Directors, has primary ethical responsibility for creating environments which promote and support organizational and individual vicarious trauma prevention. While personal efforts are important, individual health can still be compromised in contexts where people are denied the opportunity to make use of these skills and knowledge. The most effective way to address and prevent vicarious trauma is through sound organizational processes. Here are some ways healthy trauma organizations promote thriving environments for their staff:

1. Provide sufficient training for every member of their team on vicarious trauma, it’s symptoms, effects, and tools to address and prevent it.

2. Assure their staff that vicarious trauma symptoms are a completely normal reaction to trauma work and encourage them to seek help.

3. Establish organizational systems of care for staff who disclose or present with vicarious trauma symptoms.

4. Provide adequate training in trauma-specific and trauma-informed outreach, intake, and service delivery strategies, to increase staff’ sense of effectiveness in helping clients and reduces the sense of demoralization brought on by trauma work.

5. Establish a diverse caseload of clients in order to limit the traumatic exposure of any one worker.

6. Create work environments which facilitate staff bonding and emotional support of each other, as this limits emotional fatigue and depersonalization, and creates a greater sense of personal accomplishment (e.g.: a vicarious trauma prevention support group).

7. Institute regular relationally based clinical supervision to normalize staff’ feelings and experiences and provide support and tools to address and prevent vicarious trauma.

8. Provide safe and comfortable space for staff to engage in their personal vicarious trauma prevention activities during the work day (e.g.: therapy, 12 step meetings, meditation, long lunch with support group).

9. Nurture a culture of shared power in making organizational decisions, empower a sense of autonomy in staff-as trust, empowerment, and self-efficacy are the antidotes to a sense of powerlessness associated with vicarious trauma.

10 As an organization, continuously planning and taking steps towards improving their organizational health and practices.

Would any of these work for your trauma organization? What are your organizational secrets you can share with us?

For more please see “Victim Advocate’s Guide to Wellness: Six Dimensions of Vicarious Trauma-Free Life” by Olga Phoenix, MPA, MA.