Abstract

Health and social services workers are sometimes faced with dangerous situations threatening their physical and psychological integrity. Youth Centre (YC) employees who help youth and families in distress may be exposed to traumatic events, particularly acts of violence.
Such workers are at risk of developing anxiety, insomnia, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. The occupational consequences of traumatic events translate into exorbitant costs for the individual and organization: decreased job satisfaction, absenteeism, lower productivity. Against this backdrop, the Centre jeunesse de Montréal-Institut universitaire implemented a post-traumatic intervention protocol (PTI) involving a team of peer helpers trained to provide support to employees exposed to a potentially traumatic event.
The purpose of this project is to investigate the PTI’s short-, medium- and long-term effects by comparing the progress of a cohort of workers exposed to potentially traumatic events (PTEs) who were supported by peer helpers to two cohorts of exposed workers who did not receive such support.
The study will help improve support for workers subjected to traumatic events (TEs). The findings can be used by YCs to optimize measures implemented to prevent the personal and organizational sequelae of TEs.