Mental Health & Trauma-Informed Practice

How to Support Colleagues After Mental Health Absence

Colleagues often want to be supportive of those returning to work after absence for a mental health concern, but are unsure of how to be so. As they know, getting this right is beneficial for everyone.

This practical session gives a more personal, day-to-day approach than those aspects covered by HR return to work procedures: It addresses everyone’s real, practical concerns.

Workshop Outcomes For everyone to:

• Have given practical consideration as to what to say and do in keeping with their relationship with the colleague and role.
• Have demystified and eased any concerns of mental health problems being considered as a protected characteristic.

Available as: A 1 hour education session with Q&As or a half day workshop.

Exposed to Other’s Trauma at Work? What You Need to Know

Understanding vicarious trauma and knowing how to recognise its symptoms are vital for self-care, reducing the risk, and getting timely support.

This session is, therefore, a must for anyone working with trauma. Also for their close colleagues and loved ones who should know how to look out for them.

Workshop Outcomes For everyone to:

• Understand what happens to our brain and body when we have VT and PTSD.
• Know the workplace factors that increase risk.
• Know the signs and symptoms of VT/PSTD.
• Know and reflect on the self-care methods they should use.
• Know what to do it they experience symptoms.
• Understand the principles behind professional trauma-support services.

Available as: A 1 hour education session with Q&As or a half or full day workshop.

Managing Those Exposed to Other’s Trauma

Understanding vicarious trauma (VT)/PTSD and how the workplace can increase the risk is vital for anyone who managers or has duty of care responsibility for those exposed to other’s trauma at work.

Workshop Outcomes This session will enable everyone to:

• Understand their role and responsibility in the assessment and reduction of risk factors.
• Know how to recognise a trauma-related concern.
• Know how to provide/signpost appropriate support.
• Consider how to reduce stigma and promote a supportive environment across the team/organisation.

Available as: A 1 hour education session with Q&As or a half day workshop.

Practical Steps to Reduce the Risk of Vicarious Trauma at Work

This guided workshop provides a safe forum for honest discussion amongst those who manage and work within a vicarious trauma/PTSD high risk workplace.

It’s aim is an important one, to focus on how to make real and appropriate changes towards a trauma-informed culture and practice.

Workshop Outcomes For everyone to have:

• Considered good safeguarding practice.
• Discussed how best to reduce/mitigate the risk.
• Discussed how to promote work practices that support positive mental health.
• Produced a clearly defined action plan that supports the development, implementation and evaluation of good safeguarding practice.

Available as: A full day workshop or Away Day.

Trauma-Informed Interviewing

This session is useful for anyone who has to conduct interviews with those who have experienced trauma.

Workshop Outcomes For everyone to:

• Understand how trauma and lingering traumatic stress influences the interview process.
• Understand how trauma and stress affects the individual’s ability to recall information.
• Know how an interview can increase the likelihood of heightened stress.
• Have considered practices that help to overcome these factors.

Available as: A 1 hour education session with Q&As or a half or full day workshop.

How to Develop a Safe, Trauma-Informed Relationship

This session is for those who support, or need to develop a professional relationship with, those who’ve experienced trauma.

It outlines the importance of understanding how the emotional climate that exists within a support relationship has consequence for the worker, the client, and the professionalism of the work completed.

Workshop Outcomes For everyone to:

• Understand the existence and consequences of a relationship’s emotional climate.
• Know how to promote their awareness of their personal influence within the emotional climate.
• Know how best to control these influencing factors for better professional practice and personal mental health.

Available as: A 1 hour education session with Q&As or a half day workshop.