Session leader:Jennifer Chiaramonti

Social justice advocates willingly and regularly attempt to inhabit the hurting places of humanity in an effort to evoke social change and lessen the suffering of others. Those who fight oppression and champion diversity are at risk for vicarious trauma, compassion fatigue and burnout. Factors mitigating the ways and extent to which they may experience impairment include socioeconomic status, ethnicity, gender, race, family history, genes, sexual orientation, personal and professional habits of mind, speech, and behavior, and the culture of the employer and other organizations in which they participate. Beyond the personal suffering that compassion fatigue or burnout may cause, social justice workers risk impaired professional performance. How can you, the social justice activist, develop resilience and continue advocating effectively for cultural transformation? This workshop will define and describe compassion satisfaction, compassion fatigue, and burnout. Participants will complete compassion satisfaction self-assessments and self-care plans, discussing how their own intersectional identities impact their compassion fatigue and social justice work.