The Vicarious Trauma Toolkit

• NCJ Number: 250647
• Date Published: April 2017
• Agencies: OVC
• Publication Type: Technical Assistance, Instructional Material (Programmed)

Annotation

This Vicarious Trauma Toolkit (VTT), the first-of-its-kind online kit, is designed to assist those who provide services to victims of traumatic experiences in coping with the personal, physical, emotional, and mental impact of interacting with and serving these victims (vicarious trauma).

Abstract

The VTT is based on the premise that exposure to the traumatic experiences of other people (vicarious trauma) is an inevitable occupational challenge for those working in the fields of victim services, emergency medical services, fire services, law enforcement, and other allied professions. The VTT includes tools and resources tailored to these fields that provide the knowledge and skills needed for organizations to address effectively the vicarious trauma needs of their staff. Distinctive tools are provided for each of the following fields: victim services, emergency medical services, fire services, and law enforcement. Apps are linked to the tools for each of these professions. The featured tool is the Vicarious Organizational Readiness Guide (VT-ORG), which guides organizations' efforts to become more informed about vicarious trauma. This is an assessment and navigation tool that can be used to build capacity as a vicarious trauma-informed organization, prioritize needs, and identify resources for particular steps in organizational development. The Compendium of Resources contains nearly 500 items that include websites, pod casts, and videos, as well as research on vicarious trauma issues, such as prevalence, impact, risk factors, and effective interventions.