Care for the Caregiver: Addressing Vicarious Trauma amongst Healthy Families Staff at Toronto Public Health
Presentation October 7, 2008
Cindy Rose, R.N., B.Sc.N, Public Health Nurse, Toronto Public Health
Discussion of the development of a comprehensive plan to address vicarious trauma amongst healthy families staff at Toronto Public Health, and the methods used at TPH, following the release of the IMP position paper on vicarious trauma in the workplace. At Toronto Public Health the Healthy Families service area has 336 staff who work in various roles with high risk families, this includes public health nurses, family home visitors, dietician, community nutrition assistants and infant hearing screeners.
The presentation also presents a definition of vicarious trauma and a theory (constructivist self development theory) as a base for understanding vicarious trauma as well as the results of a literature review conducted in the fall of 2006 looking at organizational strategies to address vicarious trauma.
Learning objectives:
1. Increased awareness of vicarious trauma as a potential occupation risk for practitioners working with high risk families
2. To gain knowledge of the most promising organizational strategies to address vicarious trauma
3. Learn how an organization (TPH) that works with high risk families developed a comprehensive plan to address vicarious trauma
VIDEO (wmv) - Approx. 47 minutes
Care for the Caregiver IMH RoundsFor more information on the ProQOL: Professional Quality of Life Screening tools, go to http://www.isu.edu/~bhstamm
Please also see the Position Paper of the IMP Task Force on Vicarious Trauma in the Workplace IMP on Supporting Practitioner Effectiveness with Young Children in High-risk Families.