• Secondary Traumatic Stress in Child Welfare Practice: Trauma-Informed Guidelines for Organizations, 2nd Edition, from The Center for Child Welfare Trauma-Informed Policies, Programs, and Practices, 2021. Appendix A.
• “Investing in You,” a guide created by Children’s Advocacy Centers of North Dakota, and given to all new staff. It includes information about STS, the agency’s EAP program, low-impact debriefing for peer-to-peer support, leave policies promoting work-life balance, health insurance, training and professional development, a new employee profile, and reflection questions.

STS Training

A primary way to provide STS education is to provide STS training to all staff. For more information on basic STS training and related resources, go to Domain 5, “Secondary Traumatic Stress-Informed Training.”

The following fact sheets can be shared with staff to educate them on STS during individual supervision or staff meetings to provide the opportunity for discussion. Leaders can also create posters with warning signs or signs and symptoms of STS to place in common areas for all staff to view.

• “Understanding Secondary Traumatic Stress for CAC Workers,” from NCTSN explains the fundamentals of STS in easy-to-understand language.
• “Secondary Traumatic Stress: A Fact Sheet for Child-Serving Professionals,” from NCTSN describes how individuals experience STS, explains who is at risk and how to identify STS, and discusses strategies for prevention and intervention.

The podcast episodes listed below are brief (approximately 10 minutes in length) and are from the Well@Work podcast series, from the University of Kentucky Center on Trauma & Children. Leaders and supervisors can share the individual episodes during staff meetings, supervision, and/or lunch-and-learn sessions to provide the opportunity for discussion.

• “Secondary Traumatic Stress” (8 minutes). This episode features a discussion of STS and what you can do to minimize its effects.
  • In Spanish: “Estrés Traumatico Secundario”
• “Moral Distress” (9 minutes). This episode features a discussion of what moral distress is and what actions you can take if you think you may be experiencing it.
  • In Spanish: “Angustia Moral”
• “Self-Compassion and Secondary Traumatic Stress” (10 minutes). This episode features a discussion of how self-compassion can help mitigate symptoms of STS.

The NCTSN has two 90-minute webinars on STS that can be shared during a staff meeting or a lunch-and-learn session. Due to the length, they can be watched in two 45-minute segments if needed.

• “Secondary Traumatic Stress…What Is It?” provides an overview of STS, tools for assessing STS and strategies for addressing STS at the supervisor and worker level.
• “Organizational Secondary Traumatic Stress” addresses the impact of STS in organizational settings. Risk management and workforce development related to STS are discussed. Participants learn strategies to reduce the impact of STS in their organizations, including training, assessment, case-load management, self-care practices, and supervision.

• “What About You? A Workbook for Those Who Work with Others” includes activities intended to help identify and address STS in individuals and teams/organizations. The free resource includes information about warning signs of stress and STS in individuals and organizations.