1 / 20

Care for Caregivers

Trauma Centre Cameroon. Care for Caregivers. Presentation : Peter Essoka Trauma Centre Cameroon. Contamination:.

tolinka-gomez
Download Presentation

Care for Caregivers

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Trauma Centre Cameroon Care for Caregivers Presentation: Peter Essoka Trauma Centre Cameroon

  2. Contamination: "I love my work but lately I find it contaminating my personal life. I have nightmares about the horrible things I hear about from clients, my sex life has deteriorated, I'm irritable and distractible, I'm afraid for my kids and tend to overprotect them, and I don't trust anybody anymore. I don't know what is happening to me." A Therapist

  3. Empathy:Double-EdgedSword • “Empathetic engagement helps workers meet the needs of traumatized people…however, [it] has also been associated with inducting traumatic material from the primary victim (the client) to the secondaryvictim (the worker). • Empathizing…helps the worker to understand the client’s experience of being traumatized, but in the process the worker may be traumatized as well. These helpers might develop secondary or vicarious traumatization or burnout… ”

  4. Definitions Vicarious or secondary traumatization (VT): harmfulchanges in professionals’ views of themselves, others, and the world as a result of exposure to traumatic material Secondary traumatic stress (STS): asyndrome among professional helpers that mimics PTSD and occurs as a result of exposure to the traumatic material

  5. Definitions Burnout: Psychological exhaustion and diminished efficiency resulting from overwork or prolonged exposure to stress. Burnout is a syndrome of emotional exhaustion, depersonalisation, and reduced personal accomplishment that can occur among individuals who work with people in some capacity.

  6. Common Signs and Symptoms • Affective e.g., depressed mood, emotional exhaustion… • Cognitive e.g., poor concentration, impaired memory, intrusions… • Physical e.g., headaches, sleep disturbances, cardio-vascular affections, eating disorders… • Behavioural e.g., poor work performance, frequent anger outbursts, poor interpersonal relationships… • Motivational e.g., loss of interest and idealism • One core indicator is consistently identified – exhaustion.

  7. Common Characteristics • Cumulative. • Inevitable. • Developmental. • Modifiable.

  8. Prevalence:How Big is the Problem? • 50% of workers suffered from high or very high levels of trauma from helping others (Conrad & Kellar-Geunthar, 2006) • 37% of child protective workers experienced clinical levels of emotional distress associated with S.T.S. (Source: Meyers & Cornille, 2002).

  9. The Stakes Are High… • If not addressed, [secondary trauma] may adversely affect the caregivers’ work product and interactions with clients. It may also negatively impact caregivers’ emotional well-being and relationships with their own families. • If not recognized and responded to, [secondary trauma] may derail the primary mission of care giving organisation--to identify and assist torture and trauma survivors.

  10. Barriers to Detection…ReasonsWorkers May Not AcknowledgeSecondary Trauma • Self-blame (It’s just me!) • Shame (I’m embarrassed to admit it) • Denial (It’ll pass if I ignore it!) • Self-sacrifice (Don’t want to bother co-workers) • Job Security (I can’t expose my weaknesses) • Pressure (I don’t have time to deal with it) • Cost (I can’t afford to take time off & spend money for help)

  11. Detection & Risk Factors Personal Risk Factors • History of personal trauma • Personally identify with the victim • Negative personal circumstances (e.g., grief due to recent loss) • Low levels of social support • Low levels of resilience (capacity of bouncing back) • Lack of meaningful personal relationships

  12. Detection & Risk Factors Work-Related Factors… • inexperience on the job • high caseload of trauma survivors (e.g., sexual violence) • poor or no supervision • high frequency of exposure to traumatic material • exposure to critical incidents

  13. Detection & Risk Factors OrganisationalFactors… • Extraordinaryhighcaseloads • High administrative burden • Difficultclients • Conflicts with co-workers or supervisors • Climate of pervasive, ongoing change • Excessive emphasis on efficiency, cost effectiveness and competition. • Unforgivingenvironment. “If you can’t handle it, get out!.”

  14. What are your concerns and experience? • What strategies can you take at: • Individual level? • Organisational level? WORKSHOPS

  15. Intervention and Prevention Individual Level • increase self-awareness • identify reactions and symptoms • understand early warning signs • accurately name and articulate feelings • construct a fulfilling personal life outside work - regenerative & relaxing activities, strong relationships, etc. • develop strong support networks (especially others who understand trauma work) • acknowledge and process personal history of trauma • invoke humor • strive for realistic optimism • foster opportunities for spiritual growth and connection • recall importance of one’s work (i.e., your work does make a difference)

  16. Intervention and Prevention Supervisory Level • educate staff on hazards of secondary trauma • normalize responses to secondary trauma • promote ongoing self-assessment • schedule regular supervision meetings • utilize a relational, interactive model of supervision • promote other forms of supervision (e.g., peer, group meetings). • identify support resources for workers to access if needed • remind individuals of importance of their work

  17. Intervention and Prevention Organizational Climate • work-related stress is accepted as real and legitimate. • problem is owned by organization (not merely “problem” workers). • secondary trauma responses are recognized as normal responses. • focus is on solutions (not blaming). • support and tolerance clearly expressed to worker. • other “climate” issues (caseloads, official policy, …)

  18. Intervention and Prevention Specific Organisational Actions… • in-service training • policy on secondary trauma • ongoing program to manage secondary trauma • regular supervision, consultation and support groups • professional development opportunities • rotation in caseload and job responsibility • health care plan with adequate health care coverage

  19. You Make A Difference… …but that difference is only possible when you are healthy, functional, and engaged. Caring for others is noble; caring for yourself is required. Author unknown

More Related