Staff Wellness
Secondary Traumatic Stress (STS) is the emotional distress that arises when someone vicariously experiences the traumatic experiences of another individual. Sometimes known as compassion fatigue, the toll of tending to someone's painful experiences can create very real symptoms in caregivers, including teachers.
Substitute House Bill (SHB) 1363 and RCW 28A.300.825 acknowledges the significant toll STS has on educators, and subsequently students, and focuses on the adoption of policy and procedures so that districts and schools can take meaningful steps in supporting staff health and well-being.
Lakewood School District is committed to promoting a positive workplace climate and providing resources for staff. Review the resources below to help with stress management, prevent burnout and improve overall well-being.
Policy 5515: Workforce Secondary Traumatic Stress
Procedure 5515: Workforce Secondary Traumatic Stress
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
If you’re struggling, it’s okay to share your feelings. If you or someone you know is in crisis, you can dial 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, any time of day or night for support.
- 988: Suicide & Crisis Lifeline 24/7 support
- More mental health resources for families
Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
Lakewood employees and their families have access to an incredible benefit. Our Employee Assistance Program (EAP), Canopy, is a free and confidential resource designed to support you in all aspects of life, whether you're facing personal challenges, seeking professional guidance, or simply looking for helpful resources.
Canopy offers a wide range of services, including:
✅ Counseling—with crisis counselors available 24/7/365
✅ Legal consultation and mediation
✅ Financial coaching
✅ Identity theft support
✅ Pet resources
✅ And much more!
In addition to these services, accessing support has never been easier. Download the Canopy EAP App from your app store to have these resources at your fingertips—just search Canopy EAP.
Secondary Traumatic Stress and Self-Care
Educators, counselors, and other support staff who work with students exposed to trauma are at risk of being indirectly traumatized as a result of hearing about their students’ experiences and witnessing the negative effects. In the first section of this packet, learn about secondary traumatic stress and related conditions; in the second section, use the tools and strategies provided to help you create individual and schoolwide plans to promote staff self-care and resilience.
Self-Care Packet
Mindful Self-Care Scale
Tools for School Staff Self-Assessment and Care
The first step toward self-care is an assessment of current levels of burnout and secondary traumatic stress or vicarious traumatization as well as current self-care practices. The following tools assist in such an assessment.
- The Professional Quality of Life: Compassion Satisfaction and Compassion Fatigue version 5 (ProQOL V) (2009) measures burnout and compassion fatigue, along with compassion satisfaction, providing a more balanced understanding of trauma work impacts by including a strengths-based scale of pleasure derived from being able to do the work. https://proqol.org/proqol-measure
- The Skovholt Practitioner Professional Resiliency and Self-Care Inventory (2016) provides self-reflection for those in the helping, health, and caring professions (including teaching). The questions focus on Professional Vitality, Personal Vitality, Professional Stress, and Personal Stress.
- The Self-Care Assessment, developed by Saakvitne & Pearlman (1996), can also be used to assist helping professionals in becoming more aware of ways to prevent and manage vicarious traumatization.
- The Satisfaction with Life Scale is another tool to find out where you are on the spectrum of happiness, and satisfaction with your life. There is an explanation of the scores, and where you are along the spectrum. You can then determine where you need to go for your own life satisfaction. (Ed Diener, Robert A Emmons, Randy J Larsen and Sharon Griffin in the 1985 Journal of Personality Assessment).
Additional Resources
Mindfulness Resources from Kaiser Permanente
Filling Your Cup: Comprehensive Self-Care Strategies Curriculum
A four-part on-demand training series packed with tools and resources to help school staff focus on their own well-being.
Secondary Traumatic Stress and Self-Care Packet
Tools and strategies that help create individual and schoolwide plans to promote staff self-care and resilience.
5-Week Guides for Creating a Caring School Community
'Grab-and-go' resources to co-create a caring, supportive school environment with students, staff, and families.
Earn a $125 wellness incentive
SmartHealth is Washington State's voluntary wellness program that supports you on your journey toward living well. It is included in your SEBB benefits at no cost to you. Whether you're on the go or at home, SmartHealth makes managing your wellness simple, secure, and accessible.
You can qualify for a $125 wellness incentive each year by participating in SmartHealth activities.
If you qualified for the $125 incentive in 2024, it was applied to your medical deductible or as a one-time deposit in your health savings account, if you have a consumer-directed health plan. Sign in to SmartHealth and select the "How do I find my $125" activity.
SEBB Intercom Newsletter
What if I have diabetes?
People diagnosed with diabetes can receive support and resources through their medical plan’s diabetes management program. These programs provide help with tracking and controlling blood sugar, cholesterol levels, and blood pressure. Diabetes management and education are covered by all SEBB medical plans. For more information about your benefits, visit the diabetes management programs section at hca.wa.gov/sebb-diabetes or contact your medical plan.