The Truth About the Current State of Employee Well-Being and What Leaders Can Do About It

When the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services required that skilled nursing facilities become trauma-informed, few organizations knew what it meant to be trauma-informed; how to implement a model; or measure its success. Since the inception of the regulation, organizations have reportedly done very little to implement a trauma-informed care model. Running parallel to this requirement is the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic that triggered a wave of trauma among the long-term care workforce that left an indelible mark on the senior care workforce. The pandemic took a significant toll on the mental and emotional well-being of the long-term care workforce, ushering in a new era of unprecedented staffing challenges and shortages. This session offers invaluable insights into the intersection of COVID-19-produced trauma, adverse childhood experiences, and social determinants of health. Frontline staff have been at the forefront of the COVID-19 pandemic, facing unprecedented levels of stress, uncertainty, and exposure to trauma-inducing situations. Despite the critical role they play in providing quality care to older adults, the psychological toll of their work and their history of trauma has often been overlooked or understudied. This session underscores the need to adopt an integrated trauma-informed care approach to create environments that support the healing and growth of employees while also fostering organizational resilience and success.  

Objectives:

• Understanding Trauma: Participants will gain an understanding of trauma and why it’s critical for senior living leaders to understand the trauma their employees experience.
• Understanding the Adverse Childhood Experience (ACEs) Study: Participants will develop an understanding of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), including a discussion of the original study and the impact of ACEs on an individual's physical, emotional, and mental health across the lifespan. Participants will understand the ACEs study as it pertains to the long-term care workforce.
• Implementing Trauma-Informed Practices: Participants will explore strategies for integrating trauma-informed practices into workplace culture including trauma-sensitive hiring practices, employee assistance programs, and professional development opportunities aimed at fostering resilience and promoting well-being among staff members affected by trauma.

Jean Hartnett

Founder, Radical Sabbatical