Peers play an essential role in helping to ensure that the individuals they serve feel both heard and seen in healthcare and social service settings. The presence of peer workers in organizations often enhances the impact of recovery support and HIV services. Peer workers help encourage and support the individuals they serve, thereby helping to ease participants into much-needed health and social services. Peer workers and other service providers often listen to the traumatic experiences of the individuals they serve, and this can have a deleterious effect on their lives.

The purpose of this webinar is to help participants understand compassion fatigue and the impact it has on peer workers and other healthcare providers. Compassion fatigue is defined as “service-related secondary exposure to another person's trauma through exposure to intense energy, absorption of graphic details and dealing with challenging behaviors.” This training will help empower peer workers and other healthcare providers to understand the impact of compassion fatigue and how to successfully navigate it.

This event is intended to be interactive, so please be prepared to share your experiences, comments, and questions. Upon the completion of this event, the participants will be able to: Understand the definition of compassion fatigue; Better understand the impact that compassion fatigue has on their lives; and Understand the importance of self-care in navigating compassion fatigue and how to apply it in daily life.