Risk management &
prevention of vicarious trauma

A risk management approach seeks to identify hazards, assess their potential impact, implement measures to control the hazards and monitor these measures to ensure they are effective.

Interventions designed to mitigate the impact of vicarious trauma may be considered in the following three categories, as they relate to whether they are designed to prevent exposure to the hazard, minimise harm from exposure, or respond to harm once it has occurred.

Proactive (Primary) Prevention —
strategies designed to reduce risk of exposure, and subsequent harm, from hazards.

Primary prevention focus’ on the source of hazards within the workplace and utilises a systematic risk management process to adapt the work systems and environment in order to prevent harm². Examples include:

  • Modifying processes, job roles to reduce unnecessary exposure to traumatic content

  • Adapting the working environment to support nervous system regulation

  • Caseload monitoring & management

Ameliorative (Secondary) Prevention —
strategies that intervene when a worker has been exposed to a hazard and there is a risk of an impact occurring.

Secondary  interventions focus on influencing the individual worker’s behaviour and enhancing their ability to cope with work-related stressors. Examples include:

  • Training staff in vicarious trauma awareness & management strategies

  • Resiliency and coping skills training

  • Clinical supervision & mentoring

  • Work-based self-care sessions

  • Access to Employee Assistance Programs

  • Stress management & relaxation courses

Reactive (Tertiary) Intervention —
actions taken in response to a worker having been harmed by a hazard.

Tertiary responses focus on managing and supporting distressed workers.

Examples include:

  • Employee Assistance Programs

  • Debriefing & discussion groups

  • Support to access workers compensation

  • Support structures for workers returning to work following psychological injury/workers compensation

Adapted from Bywood, McMillan & ISCRR¹

“The most commonly utilised intervention used by organisations is Tertiary / Reactive.

However the most effective prevention is Primary / Proactive,
which aims to prevent work-related injuries by targeting the aspects of work that contribute to the risk of injury in the first place.”

— The Community and Public Sector Union (Vic Branch)³ Vicarious Trauma Prevention and Awareness Project

    1. Bywood, P. McMillan, J & ISCRR. (2019). Cultimative exposure to trauma at work - Evidence Review. https://research.iscrr.com.au/prevention/workplace-injury-and-illness/cumulative-trauma

    2. Lovelock, K. & WorkSafe New Zealand. (2019). Psychosocial hazards in work environments and effective approaches for managing them. https://www.worksafe.govt.nz/research/psychosocial-hazards-in-work-environments-and-effective-approaches-for-managing-them/

    3. The Community and Public Sector Union - Victoria Branch. (2023). The Vicarious Trauma Prevention and Awareness Project - Watch. http://vtpat.org.au/watch/

Developed by Amy Nicholas (2023) with design support from KirstyMoegerlein.com

Disclaimer: This website is intended as a general information resource only, recommendations provided here should not be substituted for appropriate risk management processes or legal advice. All organisations and individuals should consider and implement changes that are appropriate to their circumstances.