Foster Care Training

When working with system involved youth and families receiving support from the welfare system, social workers often encounter children and families who have suffered and/or witnessed various levels of trauma and who may experience various levels of mental health needs. Often times, social workers in such situations experience a psychological burden and pressure to “fix” the child/family or meet the expectations of managed care. Social workers may experience feelings of anxiety and stress resulting in a lack of self-care and self-efficacy. As a result, their ability to manage countertransference, transference, and compassion fatigue may be compromised. This workshop supports social workers in gaining an understanding of concepts such as countertransference, transference, and compassion fatigue, developing methods to manage workplace stress, and, hopefully, preventing burnout through the development self-care.