Vicarious trauma is a type of second-hand psychological response most often associated with first responders and front-line crisis workers. Although corporate incident investigators and HR and compliance professionals are usually not the first on the scene, they frequently find themselves listening to both victims and accused people who recount what could be the worst days of their professional lives. There is no doubt that the case management process can be stressful and sometimes triggering for those who are managing it. The personal and organizational impacts can include compromised risk assessment and investigations, investigator burnout and absenteeism, and a less healthy workplace overall. Join expert workplace investigator Ken McCarthy as he shares his experience with vicarious trauma and compassion fatigue resulting from his involvement in workplace investigations.

1. P r e v ent ing, M i t i gat ing, a n d R e s ponding t o
C o mpass ion F a t igue a nd V i c ar ious T r auma
Protecting the Mental Wellbeing
of Corporate Investigators
Ken McCarthy, President
Integrity by McCarthy Inc.

2. Ken McCarthy
P r e s i d e n t , I n t e g r i t y b y M c C a r t h y
• Oversees and conducts
workplace and sports
investigations in both private and
public sectors in Canada.
• Has managed investigators who
have been negatively impacted
by investigations.
• Has experienced compassion
fatigue and vicarious trauma as a
result of conducting
investigations.

3. • Trauma and fatigue scenario – Ken’s story
• Trauma and fatigue risk assessment
• Prevention, mitigation, and response
• Best practices in case management
Our path today

4. What happened to me
• Death of interviewee two weeks after
interview
• Semi-capable to mostly incapable
• Change to my cognitive schema
• Relationship damage
• Financial cost
• Recovery

5. VICARIOUS TRAUMA
• Indirect exposure to a traumatic event
• Take the trauma as your own
• Triggers a shocking reaction in your emotions and
actions
• Change in personal beliefs about the self and the
world
https://cbtpsychology.com/vicarioustrauma/
What are we talking about here?

6. COMPASSION FATIGUE
• Take on the suffering of others who have experienced extreme
or trauma
• Psychological cost of healing others
• Dark cloud that hangs over your head, goes wherever you go, and
invades your thoughts
https://www.apa.org/topics/covid-19/compassion-fatigue
• Convergence of secondary traumatic stress and cumulative burnout
• Physical and mental exhaustion caused by a depleted ability to
with one’s everyday environment.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4924075/
What are we talking about here?

7. • Affects how you think, feel, and act:
• Emotional: feeling anxious, sad, irritable, angry, numb, on edge
• Thoughts: jaded view of the world, cynicism, and negativity. Loss of
purpose
• Physiological: headaches, stomach pain, exhaustion (among other
physical symptoms)
• Behavioural: isolating or disconnecting from others, alcohol or
substance abuse, change in eating habits, risky behaviour, difficulty
sleeping, procrastinating, struggling with concentration, decision
making, and memory
https://cbtpsychology.com/vicarioustrauma/
What are we talking about here?

8. Poll Question # 1
Based on what you have seen so far in this webinar,
have you experienced what the presenter is
describing?
a. Yes, most definitely.
b. Possibly, I am not sure.
c. No, definitely not.

9. What makes us so special?
• Negative view of the community
• Are we really in harm’s way?
• Are we in a “helping” profession?
• Can’t we just toughen up?

10. Do any of these backgrounds
have an impact?
• Investigator – Lawyer or Litigator?
• Investigator – Former Law Enforcement?
• Investigator – Human Resources
Professional?
• Are there gaps in any of these that could
lead to compassion fatigue or vicarious
trauma?

11. Trauma and Fatigue Risk Assessment
• There is no such thing as zero risk.
• What are the risks you face?
• What are the contributing factors?
• What controls do you have in place?
• What are the gaps between your risks and
controls?
• What do you need to put in place to
mitigate the risks?
• Why do I want to take on this
responsibility in the first place?

12. Poll Question #2
Which of the following is the most important
contributing factor for trauma or fatigue risk
management?
a. Case assignment and management
b. Investigator self-care
c. Policies and processes
d. Organizational oversight

13. Investigation Table
Complainant Responden
t
Witness
Observe
r
Investigato
r
Procedural
Fairness
Rapport Empathy
Impartiality
Questioning
Listening

14. Why it happened to me
• Absence of self-care
• Didn’t see the warning signs
• Volume of “heavy” cases
• Empathy became ownership

15. What I did about it
• Sought professional help
• Wrote an article in the Association of
Workplace Investigators quarterly
Journal
• Shared my story
• Pursued meaningful opportunities
• Built my own personal and individual
processes

16. From my AWI Journal article
• “Talking openly about the impacts of
investigations on my mental health with my team
members and other investigators, encouraging
them to do the same meeting monthly with a
therapist.”
• “Making space for other priorities at our
organization (building prevention training courses,
developing tools for accurate workplace
assessments, and writing articles to share our
knowledge and experience)”
• “Leaning on my local AWI chapter and network”

17. How to prevent it
From Bob Stenhouse
Principal Director
• Professional detachment
• Worldview of the human condition
• Self-care

18. Best Practices in Case Management
• Responsible case management
• Regular check-ins
• A discussion / learning circle
• Back-up and redundancy
• Breaks from the “action”

19. Career Longevity of Investigators
• Is there an ideal time frame?
• What factors should be considered?
• Should there be a mandatory “check-out”?
• My federal government experience

20. Finding the Right Support

21. Rediscovering Purpose

22. Three things you should consider
INVESTIGATORS
1. Self-care
2. Act immediately if a case triggers you
3. Know that you are not alone
INVESTIGATION BUSINESS OWNERS
1. Do you have policies and practices in place?
2. What risks does your organization face?
3. Do you have the necessary redundancy?
INVESTIGATION CONTRACTORS OF RECORD
1. Do you want to take on this responsibility?
2. What risks does your organization face?
3. Do you have the necessary redundancy?

23. T h a n k Y o u f o r
P a r t i c i p a t i n g
Find more free webinars:
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sight.com/resources/webinars
@isightsoftware
C o n t a c t
K e n M c C a r t h y
C o n t a c t
i - S i g h t
webinars@i-sight.com
kenneth@integritybymccarthy.ca
www.integritybymccarthy.ca
www.linkedin.com/company/integrity-by-
mccarthy-inc/
@McCarthyK_PCI