NARRATOR: Welcome to "Cognitive Tools
for Mitigating Compassion Fatigue
and Secondary Traumatic Stress."
This webinar is part of a series of modules sponsored by
the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,
Office of the Assistant Secretary
for Preparedness and Response,
or ASPR's Technical Resources,
Assistance Center, and Information Exchange,
or TRACIE.
ASPR TRACIE works closely with healthcare facilities,
coalitions, ASPR Recovery staff,
and HPP partners across the country
and has repeatedly heard from disaster affected communities
that disaster behavioral health recovery
has been challenging for the healthcare providers
involved in recent natural disasters and no-notice events.
Each of the modules we've developed
includes a preview and a longer webinar.
The three topics are:
1. Addressing Compassion Fatigue
and Behavioral Health Needs for Healthcare Providers;
2. Organizational Behavioral Health and Wellness
for Executive Level Healthcare Facility Staff;
and 3. Healthcare Provider
Cognitive Strengthening Preparedness Program
ASPR TRACIE launched on September 30th, 2015.
The development and functionality of ASPR TRACIE
are collaborative,
involving multiple HHS Operating Divisions
and other federal government departments and agencies;
local, state, and regional government agencies,
national associations, nonprofit organizations,
and private sector partners.
TRACIE is comprised of three domains:
Technical Resources, which houses our Resource Library
and subject matter expert-reviewed
Topic Collections,
the Assistance Center, where users can receive
personalized support and responses
to requests for information and technical assistance,
and the Information Exchange,
an area for password-protected discussion
among vetted users in near real-time.
ASPR TRACIE has also developed several resources
specific to disaster behavioral health;
these are housed on our
Select Disaster Behavioral Health Resources page.
Now, I'll turn it over to Dr. April Naturale,
who developed and will lead all of these modules.
APRIL: You've had an especially stressful day –
you've been on your feet for hours in a medical shelter,
providing care to close to 100 people,
some of whom you know from your own community.
You feel disconnected from your loved ones
as you haven't been home in a couple of days,
and you notice yourself feeling triggered,
responding to some patients and clients with one-liners,
in a clipped way.
If only there was some way to strengthen your mind,
so that when you feel emotions,
you can rein them in, that you know what to do.
Hello and welcome to this preview
of the ASPR TRACIE webinar on Cognitive Strengthening.
My name is Dr. April Naturale
and I am a traumatic stress specialist
who provides disaster and emergency response
and preparedness consultation
to responders and community members.
This webinar will teach you about cognitive strengthening,
and I will tell you about tools that can help to mitigate
or reduce the incidence of Compassion Fatigue
and Secondary Traumatic Stress,
as well as help you to recognize and address
some of the distress signs and symptoms
when they do occur.
For those of you who have not participated
in the previous webinars in the series,
we will do a very brief review of Compassion Fatigue
and Secondary Traumatic Stress
as they relate to health and behavioral health professionals
just to make sure that everyone is on the same page.
We'll teach you about cognitive reframing
and take you through some exercises on that
and mindfulness.
We'll explain the importance of tools
such as attention diversion, engaging socially,
and we'll help you to learn more about your triggers
and how to communicate and express your needs
in a positive manner.
There are many resources that can inform you further
about acute stress, posttraumatic stress,
secondary traumatic stress, and compassion fatigue.
ASPR TRACIE and SAMHSA DTAC have Educational Fact Sheets,
webinars and podcasts that are free and accessible online.
Some are for survivors, other are for helpers,
some are for parents and other caregivers, check them out.
And for those of you who are interested in the research,
the National Center for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder's
website will bring you to the Pilots database
which is the most comprehensive collection of literature
on these subjects.
These articles are also free
and downloadable once you register.
Access the full training today
to find out how you can keep yourself feeling well
and healthy and functioning at your best,
especially in emergency and disaster response situations.
If you need technical assistance
please reach out to us at ASPR TRACIE
through any of the modalities noted on this slide here.
Thank you.
Produced using taxpayer funding
by The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.