This seminar is designed for communication professionals such as Dispatchers, Complaint Officers, Command Staff and First Line Supervisors.

This 4-hour contemporary mental health training seminar will discuss critical incident (acute stress reactions) secondary traumatic stress/Vicarious Trauma (VT) and the difference between post trauma stress reactions (chronic).

Emphasis is placed upon how such symptoms can affect communication professionals in particular such as Police Dispatchers and Complaint Officers, Command Staff, and First Line Supervisors.

The attendee will be able to identify and potentially manage secondary traumatic stress/Vicarious Trauma (VT) that first responders, particularly dispatchers and police complaint officers may experience on a consistent basis.

VT is the impact of indirect exposure to difficult, disturbing and/or traumatic images and stories of the suffering of others – humans and sometimes animals and the way that it might impact us as individuals and as professionals.

Upon completion, the attendee will be able to potentially acquire, change, and utilize prevention and intervention skills (via cognitive behavioral (CBT-reframing skills), targeting the array of trauma-based psychological, physiological, and behavioral reactions.

Topics Include:

What is a Critical Incident?

• Understanding the Operational definition of Anxiety and what a Traumatic Stressor/Incident is
• What is secondary trauma
• Physiological Signs & Effects from Stress
• Recovery from Anxiety Responses
• Psychological Effects from Stress
• Behavioral Effects from Stress
• Burnout
• Benefits of Relaxation Stress Symptom Checklist
• Receive specific resiliency and management tools using the Penn Resiliency Program for change
• Empower oneself for identifying and managing symptoms associated with secondary trauma stress
• Discussing traits that perpetuate Anxiety
• Benefits for Identification, Training, and Management of Symptoms