Critical Incident Stress Management For Child Protection Workers

Child protection workers deal with many critical incidents that may involve children seriously or fatally injured, parents who are victims of domestic violence, the removal of children from their homes, children rejected by parents, relatives, and others, and physical threats to the workers safety. These situations are similar to other first responders. The impact of these critical incidents may contribute to staff burnout and staff turnover if not recognized and responded to appropriately. The project will address the potential impact of critical incident stress, effective responses to staff reactions to critical incidents and to assist child protective staff and administrators in managing the impact of critical incidents on staff.