Most non-profit professionals are driven by purpose, compassion and a deep commitment to helping others in need. In today’s world of non-profit organizations, burn-out and stress are more prominent than ever. As community needs rise and resources remain strained or less than in years past, the human cost of helping can no longer be ignored.
It should be clear that burn-out in nonprofits is not in any way an individual failure. It is a systematic issue rooted in chronic underfunding, high emotional labor and on-going exposure to trauma. Many staff and leaders support people in crisis every day while being expected to maintain productivity, professionalism and resilience with minimal organizational support.
Unfortunately, trauma is a significant part of the work. Whether working with youth, families, veterans or other vulnerable communities, non-profit staff are exposed to trauma directly or indirectly. Over time this can lead to compassion fatigue, secondary traumatic stress and physical and emotional exhaustion. When organizations fail to realize this reality, non-profit staff end up bearing this weight alone.
A trauma-informed workplace recognizes that trauma has impact to its clients but also to the staff that are supporting their clients. This requires that non-profits embed care into their organizational culture. This includes:
- Psychological safety and open communication
- Realistic workloads and healthy work/life boundaries
- Supportive supervision and peer connection
- A more democratic environment where staff have a voice in decisions that affect their work
Supportive, trauma-informed environments are essential for retaining experienced staff, maintaining service quality and protecting the mission of a non-profit organization. Investing in staff can only strengthen the impact of helping others. Caring for staff is an equal priority for maintaining the mission and impact.
This is why Lakeside is managing the Creating PRESENCE model, which educates and certifies organizations to be trauma informed. The concepts, skills and processes are designed to infuse values and create an organizational culture that cares for staff and gives them the support and voice to help improve their workplace environment. This type of environment will improve retention and reduce the burn-out that is prevalent when caring for those who have significant needs. For more information, please go to the website, creatingpresence.net.
Gerry Vassar
President/CEO
