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First Friday Forum: Someone Else's Blues: Secondary Traumatic Stress and Strategies for Professional Well Being
Metropolitan State University, St. Paul Campus – Founders Hall Auditorium
700 E 7th Street
St. Paul, MN 55106
Friday, May 05, 2017, 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM CDT
Category: First Friday Forum (CE)

Someone Else's Blues: Secondary Traumatic Stress and Strategies for Professional Well-Being

Friday, May 5, 2017
Registration: 8:30 - 9:00 a.m.
Program: 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.

Friday Forums are cosponsored with the
Metropolitan State University Psychology Department

About the Program

Work in the human services/mental health system entails constant exposure to children, adults and families who are experiencing and expressing great pain.  Secondary Traumatic Stress/Compassion Fatigue is the emotional, physical and personal response to the cumulative experience of empathic engagement with the trauma and suffering described by patients.  It is the “emotional cost of caring,” an occupational hazard of the work that we do. This program will explore STS/Compassion Fatigue and describe various strategies for addressing such on individual and systemic levels.  Topics covered will include: 1) definition of the problem, 2) signs, symptoms and manifestations of secondary stress, 3) risk and protective factors, 4) self-care, 5) Compassion Satisfaction, 6) individual strategies, 7) role of supervision and organizational structure, 8) specific supervisory and organizational strategies and 9) sustainability of efforts.

This session qualifies for 3.0 continuing education credits. You must attend the full 3-hour program to get continuing education credit for the event.

Participants will be able to:

  1. Describe signs and symptoms of STS/Compassion Fatigue in their own practice.
  2. Discuss the reduction of personal risk factors as well as personal protective factors related to STS/Compassion Fatigue.
  3. Describe new strategies for professional self-care.
  4. List systemic strategies for mediating STS/Compassion Fatigue.
  5. Analyze individual and systemic strategies for enhancing Compassion Satisfaction.

About the Presenter:

Alan O’Malley Laursen, MSW, LICSW, brings over 35 years of experience in human services as a social worker, clinician, supervisor, clinical consultant, program developer and administrator.  Certified as a Compassion Fatigue Educator/Therapist, he is Program Manager of the Youth Behavioral Health Program with Olmsted County Community Services in Rochester, Minnesota. In addition to his work in regards to trauma informed child welfare practices (with particular emphasis on secondary traumatic stress/compassion fatigue), much of his current professional focus includes sexually exploited youth and child welfare – juvenile justice crossover work.  He received his Master of Social Work from the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis in 1983.

The Minnesota Psychological Association is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists.  The Minnesota Psychological Association maintains responsibility for this program and its content.

ACCESSIBILITY ACCOMMODATIONS:  If you need disability related accommodations, including parking, to make this event accessible, please contact the Metropolitan State University Center for Accessibility Resources, 651-793-1549, or [email protected]

To Register:

Register Online

Click here for a pdf Registration Form 

Refund/Cancellation Policy: A 100% refund will be made if the event is cancelled. Refunds, less a $5 handling free, will be given if a written cancellation is received at least two working days before the scheduled program begins. Transfer of fee to another program is granted if written cancellation notice is received at least one day before the program. No refund or transfer is given the day of the program.


Contact: Rhea Sullivan, (952) 564-3048