Fostering Optimal Regulation of Emotion for Prevention of Secondary Trauma (FOREST)
Study Details
Study Description
Brief Summary
FOREST is a positive emotion skills program designed to target mental health and coping needs for frontline violence prevention workers at READI Chicago. Ten skills are taught over a period of nine months during existing meetings and wellness activities, as well as in online modules in READI's Learning Management System (LMS). Through infusing the FOREST skills throughout READI, we hope to inspire organizational culture change that will emphasize the importance of wellbeing and enhance resilience, therefore reducing burnout and turnover.
| Condition or Disease | Intervention/Treatment | Phase |
|---|---|---|
|
N/A |
Detailed Description
All READI personnel will receive the FOREST program, including coaches, crew chiefs, outreach workers, managers, and supervisors at all sites and partner organizations delivering the READI program. Each month for 9 months there will be a focus on one to two positive emotion skills. The skill(s) of the month will be taught to the staff at each of the three READI sties (Austin, Englewood, and North Lawndale) separately on the first three Fridays of the month. These sessions will take place during existing one-hour wellness meetings/activities, and will be co-facilitated by Positive Emotion Ambassadors (PEAs; READI Staff members nominated to infuse the skills into READI culture) and Northwestern University.
The skill sessions will include didactic content defining the skill and explaining the rationale for inclusion, as well as examples of existing research demonstrating the skills benefits. During the session the group will practice the skill together and discuss ways to use the skill in both work and personal situations. Throughout the month, PEAs will implement the FOREST skill of the month in other existing meetings, check-ins, and team outings
Each of the 3 monthly site sessions will be observed by a member of the Implementation Resource Team (IRT) who will use a checklist to track that all core pieces of the skill training were delivered. Additionally, a PEA from a different site will observe each skill session to assess content alignment, engagement, and practice. The fourth Friday of the month the IRT will meet with the PEAs for additional training and support. These sessions will be audio recorded for qualitative data on facilitators and barriers to the skill.
Each month a module in READI's learning management system (LMS) that covers that month's skill(s) will also become available. The LMS modules will contain skill-related content similar to what is taught in the skill sessions, including a thorough definition of the skill, examples of ways to utilize the skill, a review or summary of the skill, and several knowledge questions to check for comprehension. The LMS content may include text, audio, images, and video components. All READI staff will be required to complete the LMS FOREST skill module of the month, like any other required training rolled out at READI. Percentage of staff completing each LMS training will be tracked.
Annual assessments to assess primary and secondary outcomes will be administered via REDCap. Annual interviews and focus groups will ask for feedback on implementation and content.
Study Design
Arms and Interventions
| Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
|---|---|
| Experimental: FOREST + Assessments READI staff will participate in Monthly Skill Sessions and complete FOREST content modules in the Learning Management System (LMS). Staff will also be invited to complete annual assessments for primary and secondary outcome measures, as well as annual interviews and focus groups to gather feedback on progress, implementation, and content. |
Behavioral: FOREST
The skill sessions will include didactic content defining the skill, rationale for including the skill in FOREST, and research demonstrating that practice of the skill increases positive emotion. In addition, the group will practice the skill together and will discuss ways to practice the skill at work as well as outside of work. Throughout the month, PEAs will implement the FOREST skill of the month in other existing meetings, check-ins, and team outings.
Concurrently, a module in READI's learning management system (LMS) will become available. The LMS modules will contain skill-related content similar to what is taught in the skill sessions, including a thorough definition of the skill, examples of ways to utilize the skill, a review or summary of the skill, and several knowledge questions to check for comprehension. The LMS content may include text, audio, images, and video components.
|
Outcome Measures
Primary Outcome Measures
- Decrease in burnout measured by the Oldenburg Burnout Inventory (OLBI). [12 months]
The OLBI evaluates burnout severity based on exhaustion and disengagement statements, with higher scores indicating increased levels of job burnout.
- Increase in positive affect measured by PROMIS Short Form v1.0- Positive Affect 15a. [12 months]
PROMIS Positive Affect assesses momentary positive or rewarding affective experiences, such as feelings and mood associated with pleasure, joy, elation, contentment, pride, affection, happiness, engagement, and excitement. Higher scores indicate higher levels of positive affect.
- Increase in meaning and purpose measured by PROMIS Short Form v1.0- Meaning and Purpose 6a. [12 months]
PROMIS Meaning and Purpose Bank assesses one's sense of life having purpose and that there are good reasons for living. Higher scores indicate hopefulness, optimism, goal-directedness, and feelings that one's life is worthy.
- Decrease in depression measured by PROMIS Short Form v1.0- Depression 6a. [12 months]
PROMIS Depression Bank assesses self-reported negative mood (sadness, guilt), views of self (self-criticism, worthlessness), and social cognition (loneliness, interpersonal alienation), as well as decreased positive affect and engagement (loss of interest, meaning, and purpose). Higher scores indicate higher levels of depression.
- Decrease in anxiety measured by PROMIS Short Form v1.0- Anxiety 6a. [12 months]
PROMIS Anxiety Bank assesses self-reported fear (fearfulness, panic), anxious misery (worry, dread), hyperarousal (tension, nervousness, restlessness), and somatic symptoms related to arousal (racing heart, dizziness). Higher scores indicate higher levels of anxiety.
- Improvement in professional quality of life measured by Professional Quality of Life Scale. [12 months]
Professional Quality of Life Scale (ProQOL) measures the negative and positive affects of helping others who experience suffering and trauma. The ProQOL has sub-scales for compassion satisfaction, burnout and compassion fatigue. Raw scores between 10 and 50 are presented for the three subscales 1. Compassion Satisfaction(Higher scores on this subscale represent a greater satisfaction related to ability to be an effective caregiver in ones job); 2. Burnout (Higher scores on this subscale mean one is at higher risk for burnout); and 3. Secondary Traumatic Stress (higher scores on this subscale indicate higher occurrence of work-related, secondary exposure to stressful events)
- Decrease in vicarious trauma measured by Secondary Traumatic Stress Scale. [12 months]
Secondary Traumatic Stress Scale (STSS) is a 17-item self-report questionnaire utilized to assess frequency of symptoms of intrusion, avoidance, and arousal, specifically related to providing services to victims of trauma. Raw scores range from 0 to 68, where a higher score indicates more severe secondary traumatic stress.
- Improvement in job satisfaction measured by the Work and Meaning Inventory. [12 months]
The Work and Meaning Inventory estimates feelings of meaning in work. Lower scores reflect an absence of work meaning, and may be predictive of poor work engagement, low commitment to one's organization and intentions to leave, low motivation, a perceived lack of support and adequate guidance from leadership or management. People who score lower are also more likely to be absent from work and experience both low levels of well-being and higher levels of psychological distress.
- Decrease in compassion fatigue measured by the Compassion Fatigue Self-Test. [12 months]
Compassion Fatigue Self-Test measures burnout experienced by those providing support to others. Higher scores indicate increased risk of burnout.
- Decrease in presenteeism measured by the Job-Stress-Related Presenteeism Scale. [12 months]
The Job-Stress-Related Presenteeism Scale (JSRPS) measures presenteeism (showing up to work when sick or otherwise unable to fully perform and focus) resulting from job stress. Scores range from 6 to 60, with higher scores indicating higher levels of presenteeism.
- Decrease in turnover intentions measured by Turnover Intentions Scale. [12 months]
Turnover Intentions Scale (TIS) measures the extent to which an employee intends to leave their place of employment. Higher scores indicate a higher response for participants' turnover intention.
Secondary Outcome Measures
- Decrease in staff turnover. [12 months]
Measured by number of READI staff who have left their job after <1 year of employment based on employee records
- Increase in staff retention [12 months]
Measured by number of staff who have stayed employed for >1 year based on employee records
- Increase in staff promotion [12 months]
Measured by number of staff who have been promoted into a new role based on employee records
- Decrease in use of sick days [12 months]
Measured by average number of sick days used per staff member based on employee records
Eligibility Criteria
Criteria
Inclusion Criteria:
-
Age 18 and over
-
Currently employed by Heartland Alliance/READI Chicago
-
Has internet access
-
Speaks and reads English
Exclusion Criteria:
- None
Contacts and Locations
Locations
| Site | City | State | Country | Postal Code | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine | Chicago | Illinois | United States | 60611 |
Sponsors and Collaborators
- Northwestern University
Investigators
- Principal Investigator: Judith Moskowitz, PhD, MPH, Northwestern University
Study Documents (Full-Text)
None provided.More Information
Publications
None provided.- STU00219630