Jason is a 24-year-old Youth Support Worker and has been doing this job for about 2 years. He is originally from Saskatchewan but recently moved to Calgary to explore new opportunities for himself. Jason is excited to be living in a new city but has had a difficult time making connections with new people because he spends most of his time at work. He hasn't taken a weekend off in nearly a year. He doesn't have a strong relationship with his family back home. Jason is a child of divorce and his Dad is currently in jail. Jason holds a large caseload and can see anywhere between 10-15 people a day. He doesn't have a lot of time to take breaks, so he tries to snack on things in between his appointments. When Jason first got hired, he used to go out for lunch, but he found that all his coworkers regularly ate that their desks, so Jason stopped taking lunch breaks. He tries to dedicate as much time as he can on his work and often works by himself.

A normal workday for Jason includes hearing traumatic stories from his clients. Recently, two of Jason's clients completed suicide. Jason was devastated by this. Jason is an empathetic person and wants all his clients to be able to speak freely when he is around, so he doesn't have any rules around disclosure. Jason works overtime to meet the needs of his clients and has even provided his clients with his cell phone number, so they can contact him outside of work hours. He wants his clients to know that they have someone in their lives that supports them and cares about their wellbeing.

Unfortunately, there have been quite a few incidents where the youth have become violent towards Jason during an interaction. After these incidents, Jason has brought forward his concerns around safety to his Manager; to which he was advised it's "a part of the job," and he "should get used to it." Questions: 1) Identify Jason's individual, situational and organizational protective factors. 2) Identify Jason's individual, situational and organizational risk factors. 3) What impact is Jason at risk of experiencing? 4) What can be done to build resilience for Jason?

1. Individual Risk and Protective Factors Being new to the field with little experience or training in dealing with trauma Lack of personal support from family or friends Personal history and exposure to violence or trauma Pre-existing anxiety or mood disorder Other stressors Being older with having more years of professional experience Having trauma-informed training Absence of unexplored trauma history Exhibiting personal autonomy in the workplace Recognition of the importance of self-care and self-care practices Knowledge of what to do and where to access support if needed 2. Situational Risk and Protective Factors Abuse or violence directed at the provider while in a work setting History of proliferation of negative outcomes. Negative attitudes towards trauma victims. Being present to the physical and emotional pain of others, witnessing or being part of traumatic events, feeling over committed to helping people. The team approach to debriefing, and regular and consistent check ins with managers and colleagues Emotional support from professional colleagues Appreciation and recognition from managers and colleagues regarding the challenging nature of trauma work. 3. Organizational Risk and Protective Factors Lack of space or support for self care Lack of support when experiencing compassion fatigue/burnout etc. Lack of acknowledgement that compassion fatigue/burnout etc. are normal responses to helping people Working in isolation High caseloads Too many negative outcomes Culture of teamwork, with space and time for debriefing and self-care Availability of referral resources A culture of empowerment that offers providers a sense of autonomy including a greater ability to participate in decision making about organizational policies, and support and resources that further their professional development.