Workplace Plan to address Traumatic Events
Name
Institution
Date
Workplace Plan to address Traumatic Events
Human service organizations should not expect that the employee will not be exposed to trauma at their respective workplaces. On the contrary, these organizations can prevent the most devastating impacts of trauma exposure by adequately preparing their employees (Copeland & Henry, 2017). The action plan should include strategies to respond to the issue at the moment and addressing its long term effects.
Hosting Information Sessions with Qualified Personnel
This strategy will enable these professionals to share their experiences of trauma. Through this approach, the employees will recognize that emotions, physical sensations, and thoughts can change over time as one responds to trauma (Rossiter & Sochos, 2018). Ideally, people expose different reactions to the same traumatic experiences (Zelnick et al., 2013). In addition to recognizing the different exposures, the employees will also learn about coping strategies and resources that will be an aid in response to traumatic events.
Creation of a Safe Room
The human service organization should create a safe room where the employees can go if they feel distressed for them to decompress. This approach is derived from the situation where employees need to get away and compose themselves before returning to work (Copeland & Henry, 2017). The respective departmental managers should assist the employees during this situation (Rossiter & Sochos, 2018). The safe room will a permanent ‘isolation chamber’ attached with a counselor to assist the employees to compose themselves.
Greatest Concern on the Safety of Mental Health Professionals
The greatest concern about the safety of mental health professionals is social stigma. If there is a lack of awareness of mental health illnesses, there is a risk for considerable social stigma towards them (Rossiter & Sochos, 2018). The rest of the employees will be afraid to join the program to the stigma they associate with mental illness.
References
Copeland, D., & Henry, M. (2017). Workplace Violence and Perceptions of Safety among Emergency Department Staff Members. Journal of Trauma Nursing, 24(2), 65-77. doi: 10.1097/jtn.0000000000000269
Rossiter, L., & Sochos, A. (2018). Workplace Bullying and Burnout: The Moderating Effects of Social Support. Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment & Trauma, 27(4), 386-408. doi: 10.1080/10926771.2017.1422840
Zelnick, J., Slayter, E., Flanzbaum, B., Butler, N., Domingo, B., Perlstein, J., & Trust, C. (2013). Part of the Job? Workplace Violence in Massachusetts Social Service Agencies. Health & Social Work, 38(2), 75-85. doi: 10.1093/hsw/hlt007