Taking an organizational approach to addressing secondary trauma in child welfare settings

Abstract

The increasing focus on trauma-informed child welfare practice has expanded beyond children to include other stakeholders, including child welfare staff. Despite research showing high levels of trauma exposure and symptoms among child welfare staff, and the connection between secondary trauma and staff attrition, the field has lagged in developing interventions for child welfare professionals and agencies affected by secondary trauma. This paper describes efforts underway in New York City to better understand and address secondary trauma in a multi-service child welfare agency. Agency data showing the extent to which people in different roles (e.g., caseworker, supervisor) feel that secondary trauma is recognized and addressed, and findings from exit interviews with departing staff, are shared. Lessons learned include the importance of responding to secondary trauma organizationally; the value of data collection in destigmatizing secondary trauma and clarifying agency priorities; and the need to simultaneously address secondary trauma and burnout. Recommendations for future research, including better understanding the knowledge and skills that supervisors and administrators need to mitigate secondary trauma, are shared.