Evaluating an Organization's Response to Vicarious Trauma in Staff and Multidisciplinary Team Members
Year: 2015
Type: article
Abstract: Program evaluation method was utilized to examine the relationship between vicarious trauma (VT) and organizational policies and practices.VT and secondary traumatic stress (STS) refer to the impact of hearing explicit accounts of people being directly traumatized.Indirect exposure to a traumatic events can cause traumatic stress and changes in the person's way of experiencing the self and the world.The focus of this evaluation was developed collaboratively with the Clinical Director of Monarch Children's Justice and Advocacy Center (MCJAC), the site of the program evaluation.The question of study was How effectively is MCJAC addressing vicarious trauma in staff, volunteers, and multi-disciplinary team members?MCJAC provides free services to victims of childhood sexual abuse and their families through forensic interviewing, psychotherapy, and family advocacy programs.Additionally, MCJAC houses and facilitates multidisciplinary team (MDT) meetings (a case consult group of Child Advocacy Center partners, such as law enforcement, medical examiners, etc.).The purpose of this program evaluation included identifying current levels of VT/STS distress and cognitive changes in current staff, volunteers, and MDT members; and exploring the participants' perceptions and experiences of how MCJAC addressed VT.The evaluator conducted four interviews, developed and administered a qualitative and quantitative For Clover v Acknowledgments This project truly could not have happened if Monarch Children's Justice and Advocacy Center had not opened their doors to me.The professional community there was welcoming and kind throughout this evaluation.Thank you for collaborating with me and participating in this project.I hope that the process and results have been as useful to you as they were to my learning.The completion of this dissertation and of my Doctorate in Psychology degree was possible due to the love, support, sacrifices, and assistance from my parents, daughter, friends, family, and community.My life has been blessed with strong, dedicated, supportive people who have been so generous with their time and support.
Author: Molly O’Neil
Institution: Antioch University
Language: English
Subfield: Public Administration
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2529376686