On February 28, with our local partner HACRP, we organized a second day of training in Vietnam for social workers and medical staff from Ho Chi Minh City. This new session focused on a key issue: the mental health and well-being of professionals working with victims of violence.
Hosted at SIHUB, the city's innovation center, the course brought together 13 participants from several hospitals and the Centre de Travail Social pour l'Enfance (CTSE). Most of them are social workers, directly confronted in their daily practice with situations of great vulnerability and trauma.
Throughout the day, trainer Nguyen Thi Ngan, a specialist in psychology, guided participants through an in-depth reflection on the risks associated with their profession. Together, they clarified the differences between secondary trauma, burnout and fatigue linked to empathy, These three realities are often intertwined, but have very distinct impacts.
The discussions also provided an opportunity to’identify early warning signs, whether they appear in themselves or in their colleagues. A better understanding of the psychological and neurological mechanisms involved in secondary trauma provided participants with concrete guidelines for better recognition and prevention these situations. The afternoon was largely devoted to practical application. Participants experimented with simple emotional regulation techniques, learned to set limits in their professional practice, and reflected on concrete ways to preserve their balance. They also worked on developing personal protective strategies, as well as strengthening support between colleagues.
Over and above the numerical results, feedback from participants shows that very high level of satisfaction. They particularly appreciated the concrete nature of the content and the tools offered, which could be directly applied to their own practices. A number of them commented that they felt at home in the situations they had encountered, and that they had taken away with them new keys for better preserve their mental health.
The day also served as a reminder of essential reality Supporting victims of violence implies a strong commitment, which can expose professionals to considerable emotional pressure. For this reason, it is advisable to continue and reinforce these actions, through regular exchanges, additional training and institutional measures that fully integrate the mental health of staff.
These training days are part of a collaborative effort with local institutions in Ho Chi Minh City to set up multidisciplinary reception centers in hospitals to identify and help child victims of violence.
