The work that occurs at CACs on a daily basis, which focuses on helping child victims of abuse and other crimes, inherently exposes CAC professionals to trauma. All child abuse professionals (including leaders, supervisors, forensic interviewers, case managers, family advocates, law enforcement, district attorneys, support staff, and medical professionals) are exposed to the trauma of child abuse and its impact on a daily basis. This exposure puts CAC professionals at risk for STS, which is defined as the emotional distress that results when an individual hears about the firsthand trauma experiences of another, or as the stress placed on a person when exposed to trauma descriptions, trauma images, or the reactions and responses of persons who have experienced primary trauma.
When left unaddressed, STS reactions can lead to impairment in personal and professional functioning and can impact the morale and functioning of the CAC. The organizational effects of STS include decreased efficiency;1 increased employee turnover;2 decreased provider decision-making and service delivery;3-4 and poor working environments that, in turn, reduce morale and increase absenteeism even for employees not directly impacted by STS.5 In financial terms, employee turnover can cost the agency up to nine months of an employee’s yearly salary. Turnover and staff shortages are a frequent reality in the CAC world, and these problems place additional stress on existing staff. Organizations that provide adequate support and training to new and existing staff are better able to prevent burnout and turnover among staff.6
There has been a growing awareness in the field of child advocacy that STS is a problem that needs to be addressed. For example, high rates of STS have been found among CAC multidisciplinary team (MDT) members across multiple agencies.7-8 STS has been shown to be prevalent among forensic interviewers in CACs.9, 12 Studies have reported high rates of STS in child protective service workers13-14 and victim advocates.15
Despite the growing evidence that STS is a problem in CACs, there has been little concrete guidance as to what CAC leaders can do to address STS among their staff and MDT members. The STS Blueprint is intended to help fill this gap.