Balancing the Scales:
A Resilience Program
for Victim Advocates
Treatment Sessions by Trauma Therapists for Victim Advocates
and Assistant Crown Attorneys.
Join our 12 session program designed to screen for and address common occupational stress and mental health injuries including Burnout, Compassion Fatigue, Secondary Traumatic Stress, Anxiety, and Depression.
Balancing The Scales
A Resilience Program
for Victim Advocates
Join our 12 session program designed to screen for and address common occupational stress and mental health injuries including Burnout, Compassion Fatigue, Secondary Traumatic Stress, Anxiety, and Depression..
About the Program Creator
With an impressive background spanning over 30 years, our program is developed by a seasoned expert in the field of advocacy. Our creator has extensive experience which includes:
VWAP: Manager within the Victim/Witness Assistance Program (VWAP) across multiple court locations in Southern Ontario. Served as Manager of the College Park Domestic Violence Court and the Toronto Superior Court, overseeing processes that protect and empower vulnerable individuals.
Child-Friendly Courtroom Pioneer: Co-developed York Regions first Child Friendly Courtroom, ensuring a safe and supportive environment for young witnesses.
Advocacy and Leadership: Played a pivotal role as a member of York Regions inaugural Board of Directors for Police-based Victim Services, advocating for the rights of victims and their families.
Expertise in Domestic Violence: Actively engaged as an advocate in the USA for domestic violence issues, working tirelessly to improve support systems for affected individuals.
Childrens Advocacy Center Leadership: Served as the founding Executive Director for a Children’s Advocacy Center and State Chapter in the USA, spearheading initiatives to protect and support child victims.
Authored: If I’m the Party, Where’s the Cake, a curriculum designed to prepare child witnesses for courtroom experiences, providing them with essential tools and resources.
Trauma Therapist: Registered Psychotherapist, specializing in the treatment of police, fire fighters, Paramedics, healthcare and front-line professionals who have an OSI of PTSD, Anxiety, Depression. Trained in EMDR, CPT, CBT, DBT for PTSD.
At Hummingbird, we’ve got you!
A Resilience Program for Victim Advocates was created by our Clinical Director who has witnessed first-hand, the cost of caring. You will be matched with a trauma therapist, who will take you through a 12 Session Program. Whether you are a seasoned Advocate or new to this career, Balancing the Scales is critical to sustaining your mental health well-being!
The 12 Session program begins with **Screening**, where participants will explore critical assessments that screen for common occupational mental health injuries. Moving into the **Processing Current Impacts** phase, advocates will focus on concepts like Locus of Control, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) techniques for managing cynicism, anxiety, and depression, as well as healthy outlets for anger and the importance of self-care. Next, we focus on **Increasing Self-Awareness** to help clients identify their core values, protective factors in their lives, and vulnerable factors that may impact their well-being. Finally, the program culminates in **Strengthening for the Next Steps**, where advocates will learn strategies based on the 5 Core Strengths of Resilient People through an 8-week curriculum.
This comprehensive program is designed to equip those who support victims of crime such as: victim advocates , Crown Attorney’s and family court advocates, with the tools necessary to work along side the vulnerable victims within our most complicated systems.
Research has identified several common mental health challenges faced by victim advocates, primarily due to the emotional and psychological demands of your roles.
Many experience compassion fatigue, which can lead to emotional exhaustion, decreased job satisfaction, and feelings of helplessness.
You are often exposed to the trauma narratives of the individuals you support. This can lead to symptoms akin to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), including intrusive thoughts, avoidance behaviors, and hyperarousal, as you empathize deeply with the suffering of your clients.
Victim support work is often high-stress and emotionally taxing, leading to burnout and many victim advocates report symptoms of depression and anxiety as a result of the chronic stress associated with their roles. The emotional toll of working with traumatized individuals can lead to feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and anxiety about your ability to make a difference.
Continuous exposure to the trauma stories of clients can lead to vicarious trauma, where your worldview and sense of safety are negatively impacted. This can affect not only mental health but also personal relationships and overall life satisfaction.
Victim Advocates face significant mental health challenges related to the emotional demands of your roles. Addressing these challenges requires a specialized approach to knowing your unique work.
Program Highlights:
Developed by an Expert with 30 years in the field with specialization in victim services and trauma informed treatment.
What you can expect:
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Screening for common occupational stress mental health injuries for victim advocates
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Understanding Vicarious Trauma
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Recognizing signs and symptoms
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Effects on personal and professional life
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Trauma processing of the stories you carry
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Building Emotional Resilience using the 5 factors of Resilient People
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Mindfulness and self-care routines
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Emotional regulation tools
Benefits of the Program:
- Professional Support: Gain insights from specialistswho understand your challenges.
- Sustainable Well-being: Acquire strategies to maintain mental health beyond the program.
Register now to learn more about how we can help you develop the tools to reduce your stressors and elevate resilience for the unique challenges you face.