Compassion Fatigue
May
2008

Compiled by the Severson National Information Center, Alliance for Children and Families, 11700 W. Lake Park Drive, Milwaukee, WI 53224. Phone: 414-359-1040 or 800-221-3726, extension 3615; Fax: 414-359-1074; E-mail: severson@alliance1.org.  Single copies of articles not available on the Internet may be requested for personal use with this online order form. You may also print a .PDF of the this bibliography here.



ARTICLES
Single copies of articles not available on the Internet may be requested for personal use with this online order form.

Caring for Caregivers.
Preston, Caroline. Chronicle of Philanthropy, November 29, 2007. #15170
Charities try new ways to help their workers avoid stress-related illness.

Compassion Fatigue: An Expert Interview.
Medscape Psychiatry & Mental Health, 8:2. 2005. Posted October 17, 2005. #301
Disasters such as Hurricane Katrina take a heavy emotional and physical toll not only on their primary victims, but also on the overworked professionals and volunteers who rush in to help in the aftermath. Dr. Charles Figley, Director of the Florida State University Traumatology Institute and President and Founder of the Green Cross Foundation talks about the frequently overlooked trauma and stress experienced by those in rescue and help operations.

Coping with Stress during Disaster Response.
Eidt, W. David. Journal of Employee Assistance. 3rd Quarter 2006. #13433.
Anecdotal evidence from EA professionals who helped victims of Hurricane Katrina suggests that paying more attention to job satisfaction may help reduce the impact of burnout and stress.

Getting a Grip.
Preston, Caroline. Chronicle of Philanthropy, November 29, 2007. #15171
Charities urged to step up efforts to help workers better cope with stress.

Highlighting the Risk of Compassion Fatigue.
McNally, Vincent J. Journal of Employee Assistance. 1st Quarter 2007. 37:1. #14264
Compassion fatigue, largely unknown to most EAPs before September 11, is still not widely understood five years later.

Prevalence of Secondary Traumatic Stress Among Social Workers.
Bride, Brian E. Social Work, 52:1. January 2007. #14389
Social workers are increasingly being called on to assist survivors of childhood abuse, domestic violence, violent crime, disasters, and war and terrorism. This article investigates the prevalence of secondary traumatic stress in social workers.

Supervisor's Role with Compassion Fatigue.
Powell, David J. Counselor, 8:4. August 2007. #5064
It is the coaching, mentoring and supportive role of the supervisor, which might be the most important these days, with counselors feeling the strain of too many clients, too little time, too much paperwork, and so many people needing help.

Understanding and Preventing Worker Burnout.
Brohl, Kathryn. Children's Voices, 15:5. September-October 2006. #13908
Do you have burnout, or are you just fatigued by your compassion? The child welfare system includes several uncontrollable factors that play a large role in feeling out of control, and loss of control is the overwhelming contributor to worker exhaustion.

Who Heals the Helper? Facilitating the Social Worker's Grief.
Strom-Gottfried, Kimberly; Mowbray, Nikki D. Families in Society, 87:1. January-March 2006. #12738
Examines literature from a variety of helping professions on anticipated and unanticipated loss, the impact on caregivers' grief, the variables that can compound or complicate the mourning process and available resources to assist social workers.

Internet Links

CF Self Test from ACE.
1994. #11428
America’s Continuing Education Network (ACE) provides this self-test for compassion fatigue for help professionals. Link

Compassion Fatigue.
2000. #11425
A professional caregiver describing compassion fatigue and its effects. Link

Compassion Fatigue Articles.
2002. #11426
Victim Assistance Online Resource Center offers links to articles on compassion fatigue. Link.

Compassion Satisfaction and Fatigue (CSF) Test.
2000. #11427
A printable copy of this self-test helps you estimate your compassion status. Link

Counselor Compassion Fatigue Scale (CCFS).
Counselor, 7:1. February 2006. #12123
Contains 20 items designed to assess compassion fatigue in counselors. Link.
 
Helping the Helpers
Families in Society provides social service staff, relief workers, and crisis responders with useful, supportive information and insights into victim care, as well as tools to deal with compassion fatigue, vicarious trauma and burnout. Click on the link: "The Aftermath of Hurricane Katrina: Helping the Helpers" at www.familiesinsociety.org/ 

Mental Health Response to Mass Violence and Terrorism: A Field Guide.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. DHHS Pub. No. SMA 4025. Rockville, MD: Center for Mental Health Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2005. #3191
A training manual to assist mental health providers in better serving victims of terrorism and mass violence. Link

Overcoming Compassion Fatigue.
2004. #11431
Defines compassion fatigue and gives actions to prevent it. Link.

Secondary Stress and the Professional Helper.
2001. #11432
Helpers exposed to trauma survivors experience secondary traumatic stress. Link

Traumatic Stress
References, archived papers, and measures of traumatic stress and secondary traumatic stress. Link

Books

Compassion Fatigue: Secondary Traumatic Stress Disorder in Those Who Treat the Traumatized.
Figley, Charles R., ed. Levittown: PA. : Brunner/Mazel Psychosocial Stress Series No. 23, Brunner/Mazel, 1995.
Click here to review or order. 

Crisis Intervention and Crisis Management: Strategies that Work in Schools and Communities.
Thompson, Rosemary A. New York, N.Y. : Brunner-Routledge, 2004.
Click here to review or order. 

Secondary traumatic Stress: Self-Care Issues for Clinicians, Researchers, & Educators. 2nd. ed.
Stamm, B. Hudnall, ed. Lutherville, Maryland : Sidran Press, 1999.
Click here to review or order. 

Treating Compassion Fatigue.
Figley, Charles R., ed. New York, N.Y. : Brunner-Routledge, 2002.
Click here to review or order.
 

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