Addressing Secondary Traumatic Stress in Animal Care Work
Addressing Secondary Traumatic Stress in Animal Care Work
Room A
Presented By
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Angie Arora, MSW, RSWMore Info
Brought to You By
Professionals working in animal care are in the unique position of being exposed to the stress and trauma of two primary groups – animals and the humans that are connected to them. This means that there is a double exposure to secondary traumatic stress. Charles Figley describes secondary traumatic stress, also referred to as vicarious trauma, as “the natural consequent behaviors resulting from knowledge about a traumatizing event experienced by a significant other … the stress resulting from helping or wanting to help a traumatized or suffering person.”
Given the high degree of exposure to trauma in animal care work, this session will introduce participants to the concept of secondary traumatic stress including its causes and impacts on practitioners, teams, and organizations.
While exposure to secondary traumatic stress cannot always be avoided, a lack of tools to process such exposure when coupled with burnout, can lead to compassion fatigue. This session will introduce two methods to address secondary traumatic stress: nervous system health and team debriefing. Participants will engage in a real-debriefing session to embody its benefits, followed by guided discussions on ways to foster improved nervous system health and debriefing in animal care organizations.
- • Social Worker
- • Counselor
- • Marriage & Family Therapist
- • Psychologist
- • Veterinarian
The educational goal of this workshop is to introduce participants to the causes and impacts of secondary traumatic stress on animal care professionals, and methods to address it to improve professional wellbeing.
At the end of this course, participants will be able to:
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Define secondary traumatic stress, what causes it.
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Identify at least 3 ways secondary traumatic stress impacts individuals, teams, or an organization.
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Explain the importance of nervous system health as a way of managing exposure to trauma.
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Identify 3 ways to embed team debriefing into animal welfare organizations.
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Mathieu, F. (2014). Occupational hazards: Compassion fatigue, vicarious trauma and burnout. Canadian Nurse, 110 (5), 12-13.
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Miller, B.C. (2021). Reducing Secondary Traumatic Stress: Skills for Sustaining a Career in the Helping Professions (1st ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003049043
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Walsh, C.R., Mathieu, F., Hendricks, A. (2017). Report from the Secondary Traumatic Stress San Diego Think Tank, Traumatology, 23 (2), 124-128.
TPN.health, #1766, is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved as ACE providers. State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. TPN.health maintains responsibility for this course. ACE provider approval period: 03/31/2022 – 03/31/2025. Social workers completing this course receive 1 Clinical continuing education credits.
TPN.health is approved by the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (Provider #1000101) to sponsor continuing education for LCSWs. TPN.health maintains responsibility for this program/course and its content. Course meets the qualifications for 1 hours of continuing education credit for LCSWs as required by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences.
Trusted Provider Network, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers #SW-0654.
TPN.health has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 7267. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. TPN.health is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.
TPN.health is approved by the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (Provider #1000101) to sponsor continuing education for LPCCs. TPN.health maintains responsibility for this program/course and its content. Course meets the qualifications for 1 hours of continuing education credit for LPCCs as required by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences.
Trusted Provider Network, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed mental health counselors. #MHC-0220.
TPN.health is approved by the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (Provider #1000101) to sponsor continuing education for LMFTs. TPN.health maintains responsibility for this program/course and its content. Course meets the qualifications for 1 hours of continuing education credit for LMFTs as required by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences.
Trusted Provider Network, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed marriage and family therapists #MFT-0097.
Trusted Provider Network is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Trusted Provider Network maintains responsibility for this program and its content.
TPN.health is approved by the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (Provider #1000101) to sponsor continuing education for LEPs. TPN.health maintains responsibility for this program/course and its content. Course meets the qualifications for 1 hours of continuing education credit for LEPs as required by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences.
Trusted Provider Network, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed psychologists #PSY-0125.
This program has been approved for 1 hours of continuing education credit in jurisdictions that recognize RACE approval.
