Does helping hurt the helper? : An investigation into the impacts of vicarious traumatisation on social work practitioners in Hawke’s Bay, Aotearoa New Zealand Samantha Smith and Sue Hanna
By: Smith, Samantha
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Contributor(s): Hanna, Sue.
Material type: 
ArticleSeries: Aotearoa New Zealand Social Work.Publisher: Aotearoa New Zealand Association of Social Workers, 2021Subject(s): HISTORICAL TRAUMA | SELF HELP | SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE | STRESS MANAGEMENT -- TRAUMA | NEW ZEALANDOnline resources: Read article
In:
Aotearoa New Zealand Social Work, 2021, 33(3): 48-60Summary: Introduction: This article is based on the findings of a Bachelor of Social Work Honours student research project investigating the impacts of vicarious traumatisation (VT) on a small sample of frontline social work practitioners in the Hawke’s Bay region of Aotearoa New Zealand.
Method: Semi-structured, one-to-one interviews with the four participants were used to collect the data and the interviews took place in 2019. A thematic analysis approach was applied to identify key themes within and across the data set.
Findings: Three of the four social workers had experienced VT resulting from their work with clients with histories of trauma. Participants, however, were also able to identify a range of self- care management strategies they utilised to support and enhance their health and wellbeing. In addition, several important organisational supports were also identified. These included a workplace culture that recognised VT, clinical supervision, Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) services and supportive supervisors and managers.
Implications: The study demonstrates that VT and its associated impacts on social workers are important issues requiring ongoing acknowledgement and research in the New Zealand social work context. (Authors' abstract). Record #7720
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Aotearoa New Zealand Social Work, 2021, 33(3): 48-60
Introduction: This article is based on the findings of a Bachelor of Social Work Honours student research project investigating the impacts of vicarious traumatisation (VT) on a small sample of frontline social work practitioners in the Hawke’s Bay region of Aotearoa New Zealand.
Method: Semi-structured, one-to-one interviews with the four participants were used to collect the data and the interviews took place in 2019. A thematic analysis approach was applied to identify key themes within and across the data set.
Findings: Three of the four social workers had experienced VT resulting from their work with clients with histories of trauma. Participants, however, were also able to identify a range of self- care management strategies they utilised to support and enhance their health and wellbeing. In addition, several important organisational supports were also identified. These included a workplace culture that recognised VT, clinical supervision, Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) services and supportive supervisors and managers.
Implications: The study demonstrates that VT and its associated impacts on social workers are important issues requiring ongoing acknowledgement and research in the New Zealand social work context. (Authors' abstract). Record #7720
