People who work in helping professions often carry the weight of the stories, crises, and systems they serve. Over time, secondary trauma and chronic stress can affect communication, decision-making, trust, morale, retention, and the overall health of an organization.

In this session, Shenandoah Chefalo helps participants understand how secondary trauma and vicarious stress show up not only in individuals, but also in teams and organizational culture. The session connects trauma-informed principles to real workplace practices that support resilience, boundaries, supervision, accountability, and staff wellbeing.

Participants will explore how organizations can better care for the people doing the work without reducing expectations, avoiding responsibility, or losing sight of the mission.

Best suited for CASA/GAL programs, child welfare, courts, behavioral health, healthcare, education, nonprofit organizations, advocacy programs, victim services, public agencies, and other helping professions. Available as a keynote, breakout, workshop, webinar, or professional development session. Preferred duration: 60–90 minutes; can be expanded to a half-day training. Standard presentation setup requested.