Vicarious Trauma - an occupational hazard
Vicarious Trauma in Community Work: A Compliance and Care Imperative
In Australia, the Work Health and Safety Act makes it clear: organisations must identify, eliminate, or minimise all workplace hazards - not just physical ones. Under the Model Code of Practice: Managing Psychosocial Hazards at Work, employers now have a positive duty to manage risks such as vicarious trauma. This applies across the board, from large NGOs with HR teams to small community organisations with limited resources.
For boards, executives, and managers, this isn’t optional. Failure to address psychosocial hazards can expose organisations to compliance breaches, reputational damage, and workforce instability. Just as importantly, it risks the wellbeing of the very people who are delivering services at the front line.
Understanding Vicarious Trauma
Vicarious trauma occurs when workers internalise aspects of the traumatic stories or suffering they are exposed to in their work. It is distinct from burnout: rather than being caused by workload volume, it stems from repeated exposure to trauma and its emotional weight. Over time, it can shift how people see themselves, others, and the world — sometimes undermining their sense of safety, trust, and purpose.
Research has shown (McCann & Pearlman, 1990; Bride, 2017) that the consequences can include intrusive imagery, emotional exhaustion, disrupted sleep, and even changes to one’s professional identity. For organisations, the risks are cumulative: reduced effectiveness, impaired decision-making, rising absenteeism, and staff turnover.
The Role of Job Design
While much focus is often placed on individual coping, the Code of Practice reminds us that job design is the frontline of prevention. Cumulative trauma risk must be considered in how work is structured:
Caseload management – ensuring staff aren’t exposed to unrelenting high-intensity trauma stories.
Task rotation – balancing direct client work with other responsibilities to create breathing space.
Role clarity – reducing ambiguity that amplifies stress and conflict.
Workload monitoring – proactively reviewing hours, case allocations, and emotional load.
Organisations must consult with workers to identify these risks and implement controls — a shared responsibility that prevents harm before it escalates.
Beyond the Individual: Organisational and Collective Care
Traditional approaches have often leaned heavily on individual self-care. While important, self-care alone cannot resolve systemic risks. Best practice now emphasises collective and organisational strategies, including:
Clinical and reflective supervision - creating safe spaces to process trauma exposure.
Peer debriefing and collective care practices -reducing isolation and building team resilience.
Regular training - ensuring workers and leaders recognise the signs of vicarious trauma.
Monitoring and reporting systems - making psychosocial hazards visible in governance and risk oversight.
These approaches are not just supportive; they are compliance measures that align with WHS duties.
Leadership, Governance, and Relational Risk
Leadership style matters. Trauma-informed leadership helps cultivate environments where workers can name what they are experiencing without fear of stigma or reprisal. Boards, in particular, are the architects of organisational scaffolding - they have the opportunity to build policies, systems, and cultures that hold people safely.
An overlooked risk is the relational conflict that arises under stress. In high-pressure environments, trauma exposure can replay in teams as drama triangles (rescuer, persecutor, victim dynamics) or other parallel processes. Recognising these patterns early, and embedding respectful communication practices, helps prevent interpersonal conflict from compounding trauma risk.
A Gendered Dimension
It is important to acknowledge that much of the trauma-facing workforce in Australia - especially in health, community, and family violence services is made up of women. The risks of vicarious trauma therefore play out in a gendered way, intersecting with broader issues of inequality and undervaluation of care work. Addressing vicarious trauma is not only a compliance matter but also a gender equity issue.
Resources for Practice
Here are some accessible and evidence-based resources you can explore:
Trauma Stewardship (Laura van Dernoot Lipsky) – practical insights into sustaining oneself and one’s team in trauma-facing work.
Blue Knot Foundation – guidelines for trauma-informed practice in community and health services.
ProQOL (Professional Quality of Life Measure) – a validated tool for assessing compassion satisfaction, burnout, and secondary trauma.
Safe Work Australia: Psychosocial Hazards – outlines compliance obligations and practical steps for organisations.
For more information or to access my services
Preventing and responding to vicarious trauma is both a compliance obligation and a moral imperative for organisations. In small not-for-profits without HR departments, this may feel daunting but simple, well-structured strategies, reflective leadership, and collective care can make a profound difference.
I work with organisations across the community sector to strengthen these systems: from small, targeted reviews, enhancing leadership and organisation wide training - to longer-term support for teams, leaders, and boards. If you’d like access to my Managers & Leaders Guide to Supporting Workers Exposed to Trauma, please contact me.