Overview

Every day, frontline workers and caregivers come face-to-face with trauma and its effects, in the people they serve, and in themselves. Yet so many serve without the training to recognize it, respond to it, or recover from it. This book changes that. This guide holds three books in one: giving you the critical tools you need. Learn the basics of trauma-informed care. Trauma is the #1 public health issue that remains virtually unrecognized. Bring your best to those you support by understanding how trauma affects the brain and body and how to give effective, compassionate care. Use field-tested strategies. Address realities frontline workers face daily, from easing day-to-day frustrations to serious frontline injuries like burnout, compassion fatigue, vicarious trauma, retraumatization, and direct trauma on the job. Your wellbeing matters. Begin healing. Trauma therapy is often so expensive that it becomes out of reach. This book speaks directly to those living with the effects of trauma - many of whom have been misdiagnosed, misunderstood, or told their pain can't be changed. Educate yourself about the foundations of recovery and use our Body, Mind, & Spirit Toolbox to create your own resource for regulation, relief, and renewal. This book is for: -Frontline workers in any field -Volunteers -Unpaid caregivers -Anyone who encounters survivors of trauma in their work or personal lives -Survivors of trauma and those who walk beside them Whether you are helping others, healing yourself, or both, this book is here to give you hope. ""Working with high risk individuals and communities is all consuming and there's a real need for an easy to read resource such as this book. It's meant for busy frontline workers who welcome quick access to sound insights about complex issues and for caregivers in agencies with limited access to training and continuing education. This is a book for frontline caregivers who find themselves triggered or rewounded as they engage with their people. It's a tool that will help us better understand the toll our work takes on us an offers good insight into self-care."" Dr. Rick Tobias Community Advocate & President Emeritus of Yonge Street Mission ""This book distills a lifetime of experience and decades of learning into a useful, accessible tool for anyone working with people who have suffered from trauma and its effects."" Stephen Martin, MSW, RSW Children's Mental Health ""The book is presented in a language and approach that will be very helpful for frontline workers who want to understand and respond compassionately to the impacts of trauma on the people in their care. It reminds us to keep looking for the unique and beautiful person behind the diagnosis."" Sue Garvey, MSW Executive Director of Ottawa's Cornerstone Shelter for Women (Ret.) ""What an amazingly well-written book for those working on the front lines! Practical information on how to work with a wide range of clientele with PTSD and how to knowledgeably care for one's staff and self as well. I have so many friends who work on the front lines of non-profit agencies that have wanted and needed a book like this for so long!"" Stephanie Brown, Survivor

Full Product Details

9781990346088

Table of Contents

Reviews

""This book could really save lives and needs to be on every fire station's day-room coffee table. The material is a self-help manual for all those that will not seek outside help even though we are often reminded that there are resources available. In my eight years as a Firefighter, I was never aware of a fellow firefighter utilizing those resources. Something about the culture and appearing weak? That said, I think many of them would pick up and read through the book if it was readily available during their downtime at the station. Firefighters, for the most part, are fixers and would rather do it themselves - and the book provides a lot of information to help them do just that."" Brian Howarth Firefighter/EMT ""I met Susan in the late eighties and was struck by her compassion for the people struggling on the streets of our cities. It is wonderful that she can now share with us the lessons learned from her many years of down-to-earth involvement. Susan has much to teach us - let us learn from her."" Rev. Dr. Pierre Allard Educating/training/equipping in prison, chaplaincy, and restorative justice ""In the mid 90s when I was falling in love with inner city work, I heard Susan speak, and I will never forget it. She was then the director of Ottawa Innercity Ministries. The grace and the expertise with which she shared her experiences was life-changing and cemented my conviction that this was the kind of work I was meant to do. What impressed me was how she shared from her heart the life experiences that she brought with her into the work. For her this wasn't some kind of social work job that paid the bills. This was her life. The people on or close to the streets that she encountered were her friends, not clients. There was no ""us and them"" talk from her. Everyone was part of the ""we."" Read this book. Use it as a resource when facing different kinds of trauma. Use it as a training module when it comes to issues related to trauma. Everyone doing any kind of frontline work with folks who have experienced poverty would be wise to keep this book on hand at all times."" Dion Oxford Founding Director of the Salvation Army Gateway (Ret.) ""Trauma on the Front Line is a gift to us from Susan Brandt and Cielia Hatch; clearly a labour of love from two clinicians with a desire to resource and equip frontline workers. With the increasing demands on frontline workers, this book is much needed; and is the only book I am aware of that gathers a wealth of trauma resources and makes them available and accessible for a wider sector of helping professionals. Thank you, Susan and Cielia."" Ann C. Stocker, M.Div., RP, D.Min., Registered Psychotherapist ""Working with traumatized populations demands both hard-won wisdom and deep compassion. In Trauma on the Front Line, Susan and Cielia deliver both. From years on the front lines, they know that well-intentioned but untrained hands can harm-and that helpers are not magicians. We cannot fix everything, but we can show up with care that endures. This book illuminates how to nurture others without losing yourself, offering practical strategies to stay compassionate without burning out. This book is an indispensable guide born of lived expertise-not just for understanding trauma, but for sustaining your heart and hope in the work, long after the first spark of compassion."" Todd Rutkowski Chief Culture Officer Epic Group, Facilitator and Founder of Lodestar Consulting

Author Information

Susan Brandt is a counsellor, consultant, speaker, and community worker who brings extensive life and professional experience to her work. She has been described as a community leader, teacher, holistic healer, and spiritual leader, and has worked with individuals and organizations in areas such as trauma, mental health, addiction, and homelessness. Her approach draws on training and experience in psychology, nursing, criminology, social work, spirituality, and the creative arts. Cielia is a therapist and author specializing in trauma-informed care for frontline workers. Her work focuses on resilience, burnout recovery, and practical support for those helping others.

Tab Content 6

Countries Available