Tangible Strategies for Reducing Burnout and Vicarious Trauma (CE-CERT) Training

Training Features

  • Target population: clinicians and supervisors who work with and/or supervise clients of all ages with trauma and/or Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder 
  • Two 5-hour training days, plus one three-hour booster training  for clinical supervisors
  • Optional bi-monthly to monthly closed group supervisor consultation 
  • Virtual
  • Offers training in a suite of skills designed to support well-being in professionals who are exposed to secondary trauma. This training goes beyond the usual discussion of secondary traumatic stress and burnout to provide specific, practical skills that can be applied to the very real stress that is produced by this work.

Full Description

Compassion Fatigue. Burnout. Vicarious Trauma. Secondary Trauma. These are terms that overlap and yet are somewhat different. However, all these concepts have one thing in common – they describe the emotional toll exacted upon workers in the human services who deal intensively and empathically with children and adults who are in engaged in an emotional personal struggle. It is a privilege to work in a profession in which caring about those who suffer is the main tool of our work. But caring also takes a toll. Being close to ground zero when people struggle affects the emotional life of those of us who care.

The Tangible Strategies for Reducing Burnout and Vicarious Trauma training follows the Components for Enhancing Clinician Experience and Reducing Trauma (CE-CERT) model, which is designed for professionals who provide trauma services to clients and their supervisors. CE-CERT, is a suite of skills designed to support well-being in professionals who are exposed to secondary trauma. The goal of CE-CERT is not merely to help professionals survive this work. Rather, the goal is to support professionals to have a vocation that is uniquely and deeply satisfying. CE-CERT goes beyond the usual discussion of secondary traumatic stress and burnout to provide specific, practical skills that can be applied to the very real stress that is produced by this work.

CE-CERT foundational principles and skills are covered in a 2-day training open to clinicians who provide trauma services to clients as well as their supervisors. Additionally, supervisors learn how to incorporate CE-CERT into their supervision model with their supervisees via a one-half day booster training. This training also offers the opportunity for supervisors to attend 6 one-hour small group consultation calls scheduled once to twice per month with the CE-CERT trainer. 

General Eligibility Requirements:
Each consortia has a different set of eligibility criteria, please note where each one differs:

The Northern Virginia Regional Consortium for Evidence-Based Practice (NVRC):

  1. Participant must be affiliated with one of the 5 Region 2 Community Services Boards (City of Alexandria, Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun or Prince William Counties)
  2. Participant must meet the stated education, licensure, professional specialty, and/or experience requirements outlined for the specific training for which they are applying.

The Fairfax Consortium for Evidence-Based Practice (FC-EBP):

  1. Participant must currently be providing therapy services to youth/adolescents who reside within Fairfax County/City, Virginia or - for certain trainings - supervise clinicians who are serving this population.
  2. Participant must be licensed or license eligible (e.g., undergoing Board-approved supervision for licensure) to provide clinical therapy services. State registrations or professional certification, in absence of a State license or Board-approved supervision, are not sufficient to attend most FC-EBP training programs.
  3. Participant must possess a masters degree or higher in a mental health-related field by the date of their training program.  
  4. Participant must attend the full duration of any training program to which they are accepted.  Barring emergencies, we do to allow partial attendance.
  5. Participant must complete 2-4 brief surveys used to evaluate the training program(s) over the 12-months following the training program.
  6. Participants of in-person trainings are responsible for paying out-of-pocket to park on GMU's campus.

Unless otherwise stated in a training program's application announcement, all of the above criteria apply. There are programs with additional requirements and programs with exceptions to these criteria; additions and exceptions are listed within training announcements and should not be assumed applicable across programs.

Email CEBBH@gmu.edu for further information and eligibility requirements.