Regulate 

Help the person calm their brain. When someone becomes very stressed (dysregulated), they are operating in the survival part of their brain. An actual or perceived threat has triggered their stress response and they are no longer in the calm/relaxed state. This can lead to fight-flight-freeze behavior as their ability to listen, learn, comprehend, and cope will be significantly impaired. It is important to help people to become calm and feel safe in order to enable them to access their ability to relate socially. This can be done through a pattern of repetitive and soothing tasks, such as deep breathing, doodling or walking.

Relate

Connect to the person through an attuned and sensitive relationship. Once someone is calmer we need to relate and reconnect with them in a way that reminds them that they are safe, understood and supported. Dr Bruce Perry states that “the most powerful buffer in times of stress and distress is social connectedness.” At this time we need to stay physically distant but emotionally close. Instinctively, we may wish to talk and reason when someone is stressed but ways of communicating other than using words can be more effective at this time. Non-verbal communication and tone of voice used can be more significant than the actual words used. If you can relate to others in an attuned and sensitive way this will have a powerful effect in reducing the impact of stress on them. Examples of ways to relate include eye contact, listening, validating feelings.

Reason

Support the person to reflect, learn, remember, articulate, and become self-assured. 

Reasoning involves our thinking brain. It is only when someone is calm (Regulated) that they are able to form trusting relationships (Relate) and access their ability to understand think and reflect (Reason).

If this sequence is followed and modelled, it will help us to communicate effectively and support people to reflect, learn, remember and express themselves and their feelings. Relationships cannot be built and skills cannot be learnt when people feel stressed. Feeling safe and calm provides a foundation that allows all other elements
of wellbeing to develop. Dr. Perry argues that an environment that is relational, relevant, repetitive, rhythmical, respectful and rewarding helps in times of crisis.

Certificated and classified staff, like many others in helping professions, tend to experience secondary traumatic stress at greater rates than those in other professions due to the persistent exposure to and expectation of caretaking for students with emotionally painful experiences. In other words, STS can be an outcome of what is an educator's greatest asset: they care deeply about their students and families. 

Signs and symptoms of STS vary but when left unaddressed may lead to staff turnover, burnout, adult chronic absenteeism and health issues which negatively impacts everyone in the school community.  

Through a partnership with the Alliance for a Healthier Generation and a statewide team of experts, OSPI has curated a list of WA Educators Secondary Traumatic Stress Resources and developed a Washington state-specific assessment to assist districts in the implementation of requirements under state law. 

Secondary Traumatic Self Care Packet