Secondary Traumatic Stress–Informed Training

This domain includes both foundational training on secondary traumatic stress (STS) as well as more advanced training. It provides information and ideas for both STS training for new staff during the onboarding and orientation processes as well as ongoing STS training for current staff.

Research has shown that providing training and strategies to understand and address STS is especially important for staff who are new to the field, as they are at higher risk for STS.^{1, 2} Providing training opportunities to staff builds their professional competence and confidence and increases their skills in working with traumatized populations, which can further protect them from developing STS.³

Training can improve staff’s ability to understand STS and identify the signs and symptoms, as well as learning strategies to address STS when symptoms occur. Offering STS training also communicates to the staff that the organization is aware of the impact of working with traumatized populations and shows that the organization actively supports their staff in addressing this impact.

Training can include both formal (such as the sharing of resources) and informal interventions, which can occur during supervision, team meetings, or in any interaction with staff.

Important Considerations When Planning a Training

1. Assess the training needs of staff. Staff who have already participated in basic training on STS may benefit from advanced STS training. Staff should be asked about their training needs and specific topics that would be most helpful to them related to STS.
2. Ensure that that training acknowledges and addresses diverse identities and experiences related to trauma. There are a lot of complexities that impact individual experiences of trauma exposure, including a personal history of trauma, historical trauma, and/or trauma related to racism and/or discrimination. For example, staff who have experienced personal trauma related to discrimination and/or historical trauma may be impacted by their clients’ traumas in a unique way (especially if their clients’ traumas are similar to their own traumas). Training on STS needs to acknowledge that many providers come to the work with their own traumas and that the work can be triggering. Training should also help providers understand how STS may intersect with personal and/or historical trauma and suggest skills to help them manage this.
3. Consider the structure and delivery of training. It is critical that staff be provided the time to fully engage in formal training without distractions. This means that training time, whether in person, virtual, or self-paced online, is protected time. Coverage may need to be provided to release staff members from their work duties in order to fully participate in training. Trainings should not take place over lunch time (other than optional lunch-and-learn sessions) or other break times. Staff should not be required to attend trainings outside of work hours unless time is being flexed for them to do so. Training may be more effective and less disruptive to work schedules if delivered in shorter segments. Some ideas for structuring trainings include:
   • A monthly time slot for training that is protected time and productivity is adjusted accordingly. Content can include STS as well as other topics related to staff health and wellness.
   • Short training sessions (30-60 minutes) delivered during existing staff meetings.
   • Training is embedded into individual supervision.
4. Effectively integrate relevant resources into the training. When training resources, such as videos, webinars, and podcasts are being shared in supervision and/or staff meetings, it is important to engage participants in discussion of the training content. Discussion questions may include:
   • What is your main takeaway from this training?
   • How does this relate to your professional experiences?
   • How can this information be useful to you in your work?
5. Provide follow-up after the training. Regardless of the structure of the training, it is important to provide some follow-up after the training so that staff can apply the lessons from the training into their daily work. Supervisors can ensure follow-up during individual supervision and/or staff meetings. Leaders can also send a follow-up email to summarize the training, suggest practice, strategies, and share additional resources.
6. Choose an experienced and knowledgeable trainer with expertise in STS. Formal training on STS should be conducted by a trainer who has extensive knowledge about STS, experience as an STS trainer, and professional experience relevant to child advocacy center (CAC) work. The STS Consortium (a group of researchers, trainers, practitioners, and advocates with a common goal of advancing the field of STS toward health), has created guidelines on how to select a good training and trainer for STS.

Using Internal Versus External Trainers

Organizations should consider the pros and cons of internal versus external trainers.

Internal trainers:

• Internal trainers can help sustain the training and provide ongoing support to staff as they continue to learn about STS, its impacts, and how to address it.
• Internal trainers may also be able to relate to staff and specific situations, as they have similar work experiences and background.
• Staff may not be as comfortable with an internal trainer because of concerns about psychological safety and confidentiality and may feel more comfortable sharing concerns with a person outside of the organization.
• Staff may not regard an internal trainer as an expert because they are part of the same organization.

External trainers:

• External trainers can bring a sense of expertise as well as an outside perspective to the training.
• They may not be as readily available as internal trainers.
• They may require a training fee, which may not be as financially feasible for the organization.