August 2007Vol. 8, No. 7Secondary Traumatic Stress in Professionals
Child welfare professionals may be at risk for suffering secondary traumatic stress due to the nature of their job. A new manual addresses this risk and presents workers and supervisors with tools for recognizing and coping with the problem. Using a "train the trainer" approach, the book provides information on education, individual coping techniques, and social support strategies for dealing with this type of stress.
Secondary Traumatic Stress and the Child Welfare Professional is based on the authors' 10-year study with over 600 child welfare professionals and their experiences with traumatic stress. As the book points out, secondary traumatic stress affects the entire child welfare workforce by causing worker turnover. This, in turn, has a negative impact on the children and families that these workers serve.
Secondary Traumatic Stress and the Child Welfare Professional, by Josephine G. Pryce, Kimberly K. Shackelford, and David H. Pryce, is available for purchase on the Lyceum Books website. The website also offers free access to Chapter 3, "Educating Child Welfare Workers About Secondary Stress."