When self-care does not seem like enough
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11:25 am - 12:15 pm Session
Those who provide care to others, especially to those with special needs, during prolonged extreme stress events such as COVID-19 are at high risk of burnout, secondary trauma, compassion fatigue, ambiguous loss, and moral injury. Self-care is critical for provider health and safety, but many people are starting to report that self-care is not enough or that they don’t have time to take a walk outside or to practice deep breathing. There is a miscomprehension that self-care is just activities that you do for yourself. This mindset creates the feeling that self-care activities are pointless because they do not help you to gain control over your stress. This presentation will provide you with an understanding of the core components of self-care and how it can improve your ability to manage stress along with tools, and resources to support your self-care practices.
Nancy Carlson, Disaster Behavioral Health Program Coordinator, Minnesota Department of Health (she/her)
Bio: Nancy Carlson is the Disaster Behavioral Health Program Coordinator for the Minnesota Department of Health, in their Division of Emergency Preparedness and Response. She has over 30 years of experience in crisis response and disaster behavioral health at the community, county, and state level. In this position, she develops state-level preparedness, response, and recovery plans, administers a state-wide Minnesota Behavioral Health Medical Reserve Corp, and leads a team of Regional Behavioral Health Coordinators to provide training, education, crisis intervention, responder support services and technical assistance to local and tribal public health and disaster behavioral health partners and stakeholders. During the COVID-19 response she is the Disaster Behavioral Health Lead for the Minnesota Department of Health, COVID Bureau. Prior to her current position, Nancy worked in county human services with emotionally disturbed children, seriously and persistently mentally ill adults, and coordinated a multi-discipline county-wide community crisis mental health response team. Nancy is a Certified Compassion Fatigue Therapist, and Compassion Fatigue Educator. She has a BS in clinical psychology from Mankato State University, has completed coursework in psychotherapy through the Alfred Adler Institute, and has an MPhil in Human and Social Services specializing in Disaster, Crisis, and Intervention from Walden University.
Objectives for the session:
Realize how high-stress events, such as the pandemic have impacted your mental health and emotional wellbeing.
Understand the role of self-awareness, and self-appreciation in effective self-care practices.
Learn how to create a personal self-care plan, and about some tools and resources that can support you in implementing your plan.