Compassion Fatigue for Behavioral Health Workers

This course is intended for behavioral health workers who wish to learn more about how experiencing traumatic events, either directly or indirectly, as a first responder reacting to an emergency or crisis situation may impact their professional and personal wellbeing. Taught through a behavioral health (mental health and substance use) lens, the instructor will incorporate lecture, PowerPoint and activities to satisfy the following course objectives:

1. Define and discuss the impact of trauma, vicarious trauma, and burnout on professional and personal wellbeing
2. Identify compassion fatigue and burnout warning signs
3. Describe individualized self-care and resiliency strategies to mitigate the damaging impacts of trauma and associated stress responses
4. Discuss implementing systematic change and support; policies and procedures

Instructor

Isaac Sandidge, MA

Isaac Sandidge graduated from Eastern Ilinois University with an MA in Gerontology. He has over 7 years of experience as a clinician in community behavioral health centers. Sandidge organized, implemented and conducted New Employee Orientation for all staff within the community behavioral health organizations on topics such as Motivational Interviewing, Recovery Oriented Services, Personal Growth, Life Safety, Corporate Compliance, Trauma-Informed Care and Compassion Fatigue, Enhancing Consumer Engagement, ASAM, Golden Thread, IL Rule 132, DLA-20, PHQ9, and Mental Health First Aid. He is currently an instructor in Adult and Youth Mental Health First Aid with certification in Public Safety, Higher Education, and Older Adult modules of the program. Sandidge is also an instructor for CALM (Counseling on Reducing Access to Lethal Means, and Conversations on Reducing Access to Lethal Means).