Secondary Traumatic Stress in Social Workers Responding to Disasters: Reports from the Field

Social workers are called to respond to disasters to provide assessment, crisis counseling and trauma treatment as part of the recovery effort. While research has identified the types of interventions appropriate in assisting trauma survivors, little empirical research exists to help address the distress responses that social workers experience when exposed to the trauma material of disaster survivors and their families. Case examples can inform social work practice using evidence informed interventions and recording the outcomes. This article presents three case histories of social workers responding to disasters, the course of their secondary traumatic stress responses and their struggle to overcome the psychological adversity they faced.