Thriving in the Trenches: Resilience Tools for Mental Health Providers in High-Intensity Settings

Session Description: Working in addiction and trauma care exposes providers to intense emotional demands that can lead to vicarious trauma, compassion fatigue, and burnout. In this session, Dr. DeAnna Crosby shares evidence-informed strategies to recognize early warning signs, build resilience, and maintain clinical effectiveness in high-intensity settings. Participants will learn practical tools and strategies they can adapt to their clinical role and setting, including structured self-check practices for early identification of stress reactions, brief between-session regulation techniques, boundary-supportive approaches that protect empathy without overextension, and supervision/team practices that strengthen support and reduce isolation. The session includes a brief case example illustrating how vicarious trauma can develop over time—and how targeted individual and organizational actions can interrupt that trajectory. By the end of the session, attendees will be prepared to identify early indicators of vicarious trauma and compassion fatigue, select resilience strategies that fit their workflow, and outline a realistic prevention plan that integrates reflective supervision and workplace supports to sustain effective clinical care.