Talking Stick - September/October 2008 - (Page 16) Res Life Peeling Away Layers of Grief by Camille Perlman Res Life staff need to care for themselves in order to take care of others. Recognizing symptoms of stress in staff is just as crucial as recognizing them in students . . . Residence life staff are a vital piece of the campus community, constantly monitoring and nurturing the development, health, and well-being of the students. Many times referred to as the “front lines” or the “first responders,” this staff is often the first to heed the call of a student in crisis. Needless to say, the job can be very stressful as they see firsthand the trauma and aftermath of suicide, domestic violence, or drug abuse. Much of their training is about caring for their fellow staff or a student’s well-being, but the reality is that they themselves need to be supported just as much and more. These professionals are in a prime position to feel weighed down by layers of trauma and grief. It may be that they have assisted students through several crises over the course of a year, or it may be that the trauma of others is added to their own personal crises and losses. The result is cumulative grief that can leave a person feeling fragile, vulnerable, and burned out. “The cumulative effect on first responders varies given the staff member’s personal resilience, hardiness, and systemic and social support,” says Wayne Griffin, associate director and clinical associate professor at the University of Florida’s counseling center in Gainesville. “Staff often assume a certain level of responsibility for the ‘well-being’ of their residents and colleagues. Like others, when confronted with tragic circumstances outside their scope of response, they may feel helpless and frustrated that there was not more they could have done to prevent the incident. The individual staff member, if she or he does not receive adequate social and/or systemic support, may develop symptoms not dissimilar from what is seen in post traumatic stress response: namely disruptive sleep, recurring dreams, negative self-talk, avoidance of perceived high stress situations, appetite changes, energy flux, and difficultly with concentration.” 1 Talking Stick
Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Talking Stick - September/October 2008 Talking Stick - September/October 2008 Contents Online Now Vision Just In Your ACUHO-I Transitions Res Life Facilities Business Calendar Safe Harbor Think Globally, React Locally Conversations First Takes Reporting Out New Members Snapshot Talking Stick - September/October 2008 Talking Stick - September/October 2008 - Talking Stick - September/October 2008 (Page Cover1) Talking Stick - September/October 2008 - Talking Stick - September/October 2008 (Page Cover2) Talking Stick - September/October 2008 - Talking Stick - September/October 2008 (Page 1) Talking Stick - September/October 2008 - Talking Stick - September/October 2008 (Page 2) Talking Stick - September/October 2008 - Contents (Page 3) Talking Stick - September/October 2008 - Online Now (Page 4) Talking Stick - September/October 2008 - Online Now (Page 5) Talking Stick - September/October 2008 - Vision (Page 6) Talking Stick - September/October 2008 - Vision (Page 7) Talking Stick - September/October 2008 - Just In (Page 8) Talking Stick - September/October 2008 - Just In (Page 9) Talking Stick - September/October 2008 - Just In (Page 10) Talking Stick - September/October 2008 - Just In (Page 11) Talking Stick - September/October 2008 - Your ACUHO-I (Page 12) Talking Stick - September/October 2008 - Your ACUHO-I (Page 13) Talking Stick - September/October 2008 - Transitions (Page 14) Talking Stick - September/October 2008 - Transitions (Page 15) Talking Stick - September/October 2008 - Res Life (Page 16) Talking Stick - September/October 2008 - Res Life (Page 17) Talking Stick - September/October 2008 - Res Life (Page 18) Talking Stick - September/October 2008 - Res Life (Page 19) Talking Stick - September/October 2008 - Facilities (Page 20) Talking Stick - September/October 2008 - Facilities (Page 21) Talking Stick - September/October 2008 - Facilities (Page 22) Talking Stick - September/October 2008 - Facilities (Page 23) Talking Stick - September/October 2008 - Business (Page 24) Talking Stick - September/October 2008 - Business (Page 25) Talking Stick - September/October 2008 - Business (Page 26) Talking Stick - September/October 2008 - Business (Page 27) Talking Stick - September/October 2008 - Calendar (Page 28) Talking Stick - September/October 2008 - Calendar (Page 29) Talking Stick - September/October 2008 - Safe Harbor (Page 30) Talking Stick - September/October 2008 - Safe Harbor (Page 31) Talking Stick - September/October 2008 - Safe Harbor (Page 32) Talking Stick - September/October 2008 - Safe Harbor (Page 33) Talking Stick - September/October 2008 - Safe Harbor (Page 34) Talking Stick - September/October 2008 - Safe Harbor (Page 35) Talking Stick - September/October 2008 - Safe Harbor (Page 36) Talking Stick - September/October 2008 - Safe Harbor (Page 37) Talking Stick - September/October 2008 - Safe Harbor (Page 38) Talking Stick - September/October 2008 - Safe Harbor (Page 39) Talking Stick - September/October 2008 - Safe Harbor (Page 40) Talking Stick - September/October 2008 - Safe Harbor (Page 41) Talking Stick - September/October 2008 - Think Globally, React Locally (Page 42) Talking Stick - September/October 2008 - Think Globally, React Locally (Page 43) Talking Stick - September/October 2008 - Think Globally, React Locally (Page 44) Talking Stick - September/October 2008 - Think Globally, React Locally (Page 45) Talking Stick - September/October 2008 - Think Globally, React Locally (Page 46) Talking Stick - September/October 2008 - Think Globally, React Locally (Page 47) Talking Stick - September/October 2008 - Think Globally, React Locally (Page 48) Talking Stick - September/October 2008 - Think Globally, React Locally (Page 49) Talking Stick - September/October 2008 - Think Globally, React Locally (Page 50) Talking Stick - September/October 2008 - Think Globally, React Locally (Page 51) Talking Stick - September/October 2008 - Conversations (Page 52) Talking Stick - September/October 2008 - Conversations (Page 53) Talking Stick - September/October 2008 - Conversations (Page 54) Talking Stick - September/October 2008 - Conversations (Page 55) Talking Stick - September/October 2008 - First Takes (Page 56) Talking Stick - September/October 2008 - First Takes (Page 57) Talking Stick - September/October 2008 - Reporting Out (Page 58) Talking Stick - September/October 2008 - Reporting Out (Page 59) Talking Stick - September/October 2008 - Reporting Out (Page 60) Talking Stick - September/October 2008 - Reporting Out (Page 61) Talking Stick - September/October 2008 - Reporting Out (Page 62) Talking Stick - September/October 2008 - Reporting Out (Page 63) Talking Stick - September/October 2008 - Reporting Out (Page 64) Talking Stick - September/October 2008 - Reporting Out (Page 65) Talking Stick - September/October 2008 - New Members (Page 66) Talking Stick - September/October 2008 - New Members (Page 67) Talking Stick - September/October 2008 - Snapshot (Page 68) Talking Stick - September/October 2008 - Snapshot (Page Cover3) Talking Stick - September/October 2008 - Snapshot (Page Cover4)
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