1. Clinical Stories with Issues of
DV: An Open Forum
Talking about things that matter
with people doing the work
Gary Direnfeld, MSW, RSW
www.yoursocialworker.com
www.yoursocialworker.com1

2. Why Talk?
 Working in the area of domestic violence has
particular challenges and rewards
 The challenges can threaten the integrity of the
worker
 The rewards can provide a tremendous sense of
personal satisfaction
 Talking can help overcome the challenges and
improve the likelihood of reward.
www.yoursocialworker.com2

3. Challenges Include
Certain Risks
 Risk of attack
 Risk of burnout
 Risk of psychological stress reactions
www.yoursocialworker.com3

4. You can get hurt
Did You Know
 More than 1/2 of social workers in Massachusetts * have been
physically assaulted in a work related incident (assaults range
from pushing, hitting, and choking to life-threatening attacks)
 More than 3/4 have been verbally abused
 More than 1/3 have had a weapon brought into the workplace
 Over 3/4 have been frightened, even without physical or verbal
threat or assault
* Based upon a survey of 1,000 Massachusetts NASW members and review of literature.
www.yoursocialworker.com4

5. Violence Is Unacceptable
 Violence, threats and abuse to staff are
unacceptable.
 This includes sexual and racial
harassment, and threats to family and
property.
www.yoursocialworker.com5

6. Promoting Safety
 a statement of the organization's policy that clearly sets out a code of
practice that fits your job and where you work
 clear assessments of the risk to you from the individuals, families and
groups you work with
 clear procedures about what to do when you think there is a risk, what
to do after an incident, and what follow-up there will be
 training that fits your job, including what responsibilities you have
towards colleagues and to service users
 a working environment that maximizes your safety
 support in dealing with your concerns about threats, abuse and violence
 procedures for making sure precautions are working and can be
reviewed
 easily available support after an incident that fits what you and others
who were involved need to recover from the experience.
www.yoursocialworker.com6

7. Burnout
 The term "burnout" has been applied
across helping professions and refers to
the cumulative psychological strain of
working with many different stressors. It
often manifests as a gradual wearing
down over time.
National Center for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
www.yoursocialworker.com7

8. Factors Contributing
To Burnout
 Professional isolation
 Emotional drain from empathizing
 Difficult client population
 Long hours with few resources
 Ambiguous success
 Unreciprocated giving and attentiveness
 Failure to live up to one's own expectations for effecting
positive change
National Center for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
www.yoursocialworker.com8

9. Symptoms Include
 Depression
 Cynicism
 Boredom
 Loss of compassion
 Discouragement
National Center for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
www.yoursocialworker.com9

10. Treatment and Prevention
 Proper diet, nutrition and rest
 Physical activity
 Social action
 Good supervision
 Realistic goals
 Realistic workload
 Variety in caseload
 Collegial support
 Taking holidays!
www.yoursocialworker.com10

11. Hearing Horrendous Stories
Can Hurt the Listener
 Secondary Traumatic Stress
 Stamm 1995
 Sub-clinical or clinical signs of PTSD that mirror those experienced by trauma clients
 Compassion Stress/Fatigue
 Figley 1995
 Sense of helplessness, confusion, isolation or secondary traumatic stress symptoms experienced
by the worker
 Vicarious Traumatization
 Pearlman and Saakvitne 1995
 Permanent transformative, inevitable changes that result from work with trauma survivors
 Cognitive schemata – e.g personal safety in the world or relationships
www.yoursocialworker.com11

12. Treatment and Prevention
 Same as for burnout and
 Debriefing specific horrific cases
 Counselling
 Learning to set personal boundaries to keep from
acting beyond your role
 Stress management strategies such as yoga
 Limiting alcohol in favor of health promoting
activities
www.yoursocialworker.com12

13. Compassion Satisfaction
Figley also discusses the “upside” of
working with trauma clients:
 Sense of strength
 Self-knowledge
 Confidence
 Sense of meaning
 Spiritual connection
 Respect for human resiliency
www.yoursocialworker.com13

14. Self Care
It’s OK to have fun!
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15. …and more fun
www.yoursocialworker.com15

16. Clinical Stories with Issues of
DV: An Open Forum
Talk amongst your peers and agency staff,
discuss the challenges, arrive at mutually
acceptable solutions and HAVE FUN!
Gary Direnfeld, MSW, RSW
www.yoursocialworker.com
www.yoursocialworker.com16