Cycle 2 (Spring 2024) - Olathe NEA - Trauma 3: Secondary Trauma (Facilitated Learning)

In this course, educators will learn how secondary traumatic stress, also called compassion fatigue, manifests and how to practice self-care to minimize or prevent secondary traumatic stress. We will also learn about resources available to help educators who struggle with secondary trauma. 

When educators experience compassion fatigue, they are not able to effectively respond to students; this leads to a breakdown of trust, which can further traumatize students. This issue does not occur in isolation, nor does the solution. Teachers must practice self-care, mindfulness, or other healing practices, but at a deeper level, the systems in our schools need to be adjusted to ensure a culture of caring and support for all individuals.