Vicarious Trauma In Social Work

Social workers react to reports and take those in danger of neglect to a safer environment. “Being a social worker isn’t the easiest job to do, to succeed you have to be mentally strong and actually look forward to going to work” (Martinez). As a social worker you view the world differently from the cases you handle in an everyday bases

In this paper, the role of a social worker will be addressed. A Human Service professional has, in its hands, the responsibilities in the life of the clients and families they meet. The tremendous and arduous responsibilities they take on include, but are not limited to, the well-being and care of people and their communities. Such roles can be helping others manage the care of a family member, assisting individuals experiencing problems with family relations and conflicts, dealing with changes that come with growing old, aiding those suffering mental illness and or those individuals struggling with addictions. Briefly

I have often exaggerated the workplace and lifestyle of a social worker. After meeting with a fellow social worker, I am now able to understand their busy lifestyle. A social worker has to consider the struggles clients have experienced and hear their narratives. At the same time, these social workers need to keep their life in order in a professional and healthy way. A social worker I had the chance to meet, has endured four years of training at Thompson Rivers University: he received a bachelor degree off social work with a child welfare specialization, and two practicums, as well as regular training introduced by the government; that broadened his understanding on domestic violence, child welfare, and interview training. He stated six particular duties: provide child safety, child welfare, family care, community development, assisting individuals and being a go-to person to fellow clients (personal communication, January 27, 2016).

At the heart of this issue, is that social workers, therapists, first responders, volunteers, that work with trauma victims/survivors can experience vicarious trauma, or compassion fatigue because of the work they do, and love.

Social Work is a helping profession that strives to help the community on micro, mezzo, and macro levels. It is an investment of self to offer services and help to those in need. Areas of service can include, but are not limited to, traumatic situations, family situations, and child protection. As in most social service professions, the field of social work can often times take a toll on the emotional and physical stability of a social worker. One side effect from working in a helping profession is compassion fatigue. As a result, the National Association of Social Workers stresses the importance of self-care and its vitality in ensuring the social worker does not get burnt out by the profession.

Social work professions need to understand the importance of how individuals interact both with other people and their environment, to have an understanding how individuals are affected by these interactions (Rogers, p. 2). According to Rogers (2016), “Social workers are knowledgeable about human behavior across the life course; the range of social systems in which people live; and the ways social systems promote or deter people in maintaining or achieving health and well-being. Social workers apply theories and knowledge from the liberal arts to understand biological, social, cultural, psychological, and spiritual development (p. 2). Their work with clients begins with assessments to evaluations of intervention and is based in and supports of the core value system of the profession.

With a master 's level education in social work, I see myself envisioning clients’ health and well-being. As a student, I will study and practice techniques, beyond a generalist perspective, that will allow me to give clients hope and the ability to see something greater than what they are facing. Upon completion of a Master of Social Work direct practice degree and certificates in gerontology and mental health programs, I intend to become a licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW). As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, I will competently incorporate specialized skills in different professional settings while developing my knowledge of a wide range of social issues and professional standards. With commitment, I wish to develop skills that will enable me to create or find hidden resources and services for my future clients, create platforms through counselling for victims of trauma.

The term “Psychological trauma” refers to damage wrought from a traumatic event, which that damages one’s ability to cope with stressors. “Trauma” is commonly defined as an exposure to a situation in which a person is confronted with an event that involves actual or threatened death or serious injury, or a threat to self or others’ physical well-being (American Psychiatric Association, 2000). Specific types of client trauma frequently encountered by which therapists and other mental health workers frequently encounter in a clinical setting include sexual abuse, physical , or sexual assault, natural disasters such as earthquakes or tsunamis, domestic violence, and school or/and work related violence (James & Gilliland, 2001). Traumatic

Social workers deal with intense situations daily. It is important that social workers are aware of how they are affected by these interactions. Priscilla Dass-Brailsford explains in her book, that countertransference, vicarious trauma (VT), secondary traumatic stress, compassion fatigue and satisfaction, and burnout are all different ways that counselors can be affected (Dass-Brailsford, 2007). This is where it is important for social workers to have a plan of self-care and stress management resources to use.

That is why I believe that anyone that wants to be a social worker should take the time to watch a video, read some pamphlets, periodicals, or do a job shadowing of a social worker to see if that is the right profession for you. As a first responder, we are at risk of seeing a lot of traumatic situations. I know a lady that has gone through nursing school and decided to pursue another career after experiencing a day in the surgical room. However, you have to have some love for people and a willing heart to be a good social worker. I am not yet a social worker, but I know that I have a big heart which I believe is not enough to stay in this profession, but I am willing to try. If I notice that because of my stress level, I am not doing well at my job, I planned on seeking a professional help to assist me or join a group session. For me, PTSD (Posttraumatic Stress Disorder) can be one of the long-term impacts of social work first responders because of what we see or experience on a regular

Human service workers are likely to intervene with people with serve psychological and physical traumatic problems connected with sexual and physical assault, murder, Alzheimer’s disease, and AIDS (James and Gilliland, 2013). As a result of this involvement, the professional may develop secondary traumatic stress disorder or vicarious traumatization and compassion fatigue. However, these terms are used interchangeably to describe what is going on when the crisis worker-client relationship becomes pathological. Therefore, it is imperative for human service professionals to be made aware of the signs and symptoms, not only for the benefit of their clients but for themselves and their colleagues as well. One method that professionals can use to

The roles that childhood trauma has on adult social lives is tremendous. It is important for social work practitioners to closely abide by the NASW Code of Ethics when working with this population to combat resurfacing and unaddressed childhood trauma. When assisting clients social workers should pay special attention to specific values such as: dignity and worth of a person and competence. When clients seek service or they are mandated to receive service from social workers it is our job to keep the best interest of the client at hand and make them feel warmth and genuineness. It is hard for clients to touch on childhood traumatic experiences because some do not know what trauma is and when they let us in we have to ensure that we do not make

Maurice William’s understands that social workers get tired because of their relentless job responsibilities, therefore, she makes sure they don’t experience burn out since it is her responsibility to keep the families intact (Laureate Education, Inc., 2011). Since she is not out in the field visiting the homes, she puts her faith in her upper management team to be able to listen and pay attention to any problems or potential future problems (Laureate Education, Inc. 2011). Since she is unable to be out in the field, Williams uses her supervisory skills to train her staff to be able to identify potential problems and also to report back to her what the problems are. If there were problems out in the field (i.e., foster parents, foster children), she shoulders the full responsibility to make sure that the problems are addressed and resolved, or modify changes that are in the best interest of the children.

As in this article, it explains the difficulties hospital social workers are faced with when trying to follow the work structure, based on their profession and hospital setting. The change of social work practice for all social workers in the medical setting leads to negative communication, physical and emotional job related issues, and lack of fulfillment to the social work professional role. The high demands and changes for medical social workers also leads to the emotional difficulties for social workers when their emotional well being is not corresponding to their duties. This article is also similar to the article, “Prevalence of Secondary Traumatic Stress among Social Workers,” because it also talks about the well being of social workers

It is important for social workers to understand strategies to promote their safety. Before visiting new clients, the social worker should read any available records and speak with the client’s previous supervisors or professionals if possible (Burry, 2002, p. 147). According to Burry (2002), prior behavior is one