Well@Work

In this episode of the Well at Work podcast, Dr. Holly Huber-Gifford introduces the "Dropping Anchor" grounding skill, a practical technique to help child-serving professionals manage stress and stay present in the moment. Using the metaphor of anchoring in turbulent seas, Dr. Huber-Gifford walks listeners through a brief, step-by-step exercise designed to reduce anxiety and build emotional stability on the job. Whether you're navigating a difficult encounter or simply feeling overwhelmed, this skill offers a simple way to steady yourself, and with regular practice, a more resilient foundation for staying well at work.

In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Tracy Clemans PsyD, CSW discusses Skills for Psychological Resilience after Loss. Tracy Clemans is the AWARE Project Coordinator and a clinician at the University of Kentucky Center on Trauma and Children. 

In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Holly Huber Gifford discusses reflective supervision as a strategy to enhance staff member’s wellbeing.Holly Huber Gifford, Ph.D. is a post-doctoral scholar at the University of Kentucky Center on Trauma and Children.

Dr. Ginny Sprang discusses strategies for Creating Effective Organizational Change Toward Being Secondary Traumatic Stress Informed

Dr. Ginny Sprang explains the self-regulation strategy PRN and shares how it may reduce unwanted symptoms of stress to boost well-being. Dr. Ginny Sprang is a professor of psychiatry in the University of Kentucky College of Medicine and is the Executive Director of the University of Kentucky Center on Trauma and Children (CTAC). She is also the principal investigator of the Secondary Traumatic Stress Innovations and Solutions Center at CTAC. 

Stephanie Gusler, Ph.D. talks with us about how supervisors can support their supervisees who may be experiencing secondary traumatic stress. Specific tips are provided to help supervisors become more STS-informed, assess areas of need related to providing STS-informed supervision, and where to access resources. Dr. Gusler is an assistant professor and clinician at the University of Kentucky’s Center on Trauma and Children.4

On this episode, Dr. Jessica Eslinger shares with us about how having a healthy peer network can help manage symptoms of secondary traumatic stress and offers tips for how to develop an effective peer network. This podcast is provided through a grant from SAMHSA to the Department of Behavioral Health Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities and the UK Center on Trauma and Children.Dr. Eslinger is an assistant professor and a clinician at the University of Kentucky’s Center on Trauma and Children.

On this episode, Alex Clark explains how trauma exposure impacts mental and physical health and how peer support, like Resilience Buddies, can mitigate secondary traumatic stress (STS) symptoms. The episode offers practical tips for selecting and working with a Resilience Buddy, including setting goals, maintaining confidentiality, and engaging in self-care activities together.Alex Clark, MA, MDiv, LMFT is the Project Coordinator of the Secondary Traumatic Stress Innovations and Solutions Center and a clinician at the University of Kentucky Center on Trauma and Children

Dr. Tracy Clemans helps us understand what moral distress is and how it can arise throughout one’s career, especially during times of elevated stress. Symptoms of moral distress are discussed, as well as tips for managing moral distress should it occur. This podcast is provided through a grant from the Department of Behavioral Health Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities and the UK Center on Trauma and Children Dr. Tracy Clemans is a psychologist and training specialist at the University of Kentucky’s Center on Trauma and Children.

Dr. Ginny Sprang helps us understand the potential effects of occupational trauma on professionals. She defines the term secondary traumatic stress, outlines the symptoms, and makes suggestions for ways we can help mitigate the risk for developing STS.  This podcast is provided through a grant from SAMHSA to  the Department of Behavioral Health Developmental and  the UNiversity of Kentucky Center on Trauma and ChildrenDr. Sprang is a professor of psychiatry in the University of Kentucky College of Medicine and is the Executive Director of the University of Kentucky Center on Trauma and Children (CTAC). She is also the principal investigator of the Secondary Traumatic Stress Innovations and Solutions Center at CTAC.    

Emily Smith shares strategies leaders and supervisors can use to build a healthier work environment and boost employee retention. This podcast is provided through a grant from the Department of Behavioral Health Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities to the Center on Trauma and Children; 6:37 minutes. Emily Smith, MPH is the Coordinator for the Well@Work Project at the University of Kentucky’s Center on Trauma and Children. 

Emily Smith shares skills that can increase positive coping, well-being, and resilience to help mitigate the impact of moral distress. This podcast is provided through a grant from the Department of Behavioral Health Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities to the Center on Trauma and Children; 6:59 minutes.Emily Smith, MPH is the Coordinator for the Well@Work Project at the University of Kentucky’s Center on Trauma and Children. 

Emily Smith shares some ways to improve psychological safety in your work environment. This podcast is provided through a grant from the Department of Behavioral Health Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities to the Center on Trauma and Children; 6:58 minutes.Emily Smith, MPH is the Coordinator for the Well@Work Project at the University of Kentucky’s Center on Trauma and Children. 

Emily Smith shares strategies to help workers reduce the risk of experiencing workplace violence to enable them to provide care without fear of violence or injury. This podcast is provided through a grant from the Department of Behavioral Health Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities to the Center on Trauma and Children; 5:29 minutes. Emily Smith, MPH is the Coordinator for the Well@Work Project at the University of Kentucky’s Center on Trauma and Children. 

Adriana Molina nos ayuda a comprender qué es la angustia moral y cómo puede surgir a lo largo de la carrera, especialmente en momentos de estrés elevado como la pandemia de COVID-19. Se discuten los síntomas de la angustia moral, así como consejos para manejar la angustia moral en caso de que ocurra. Este podcast se proporciona a través de una subvención del Departamento de Salud del Comportamiento, Discapacidades Intelectuales y del Desarrollo al Centro de Trauma y Niños; 11:24 minutes.Description: Adriana Molina helps us understand what moral distress is and how it can arise throughout one’s career, especially during times of elevated stress like the COVID-19 pandemic. Symptoms of moral distress are discussed, as well as tips for managing moral distress should it occur. This podcast is provided through a grant from the Department of Behavioral Health, Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities to the Center for Trauma and Children; 11:24 minutes.

Emily Smith shares strategies to reduce the stress of working when many workplaces are undergoing staffing shortages. This podcast is provided through a grant from the Kentucky Department of Behavioral Health Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities to the Center on Trauma and Children; 6:43 minutes. Emily Smith, MPH is the Coordinator for the Well@Work Project at the University of Kentucky’s Center on Trauma and Children.

Alex Clark discusses post traumatic growth and shares ways that experiences from the COVID pandemic can help us grow, moving from struggle to strength. This podcast is provided through a grant from the Department of Behavioral Health Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities to the Center on Trauma and Children; 4:54 minutes.  Alex Clark, MA, MDiv, LMFT is the Project Coordinator of the Secondary Traumatic Stress Innovations and Solutions Center and a clinician at the University of Kentucky Center on Trauma and Children.      

Emily Smith explains how caregivers can use co-regulation to help young children develop healthy coping skills as they learn to regulate their emotions. This podcast is provided through a grant from the Department of Behavioral Health Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities to the Center on Trauma and Children; 8:05 minutes.  Emily Smith, MPH is the Coordinator for the Well@Work Project at the University of Kentucky’s Center on Trauma and Children.

Emily Smith offers tips to help families tame stress and develop healthy habits that can boost well-being. This podcast is provided through a grant from the Department of Behavioral Health Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities to the Center on Trauma and Children; 6:07 minutes.  Emily Smith, MPH is the Coordinator for the Well@Work Project at the University of Kentucky’s Center on Trauma and Children.

Emily Smith offers some strategies to regain and rebuild faith in others and yourself as you begin to recover from the ongoing impact of the COVID pandemic. This podcast is provided through a grant from the Department of Behavioral Health Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities to the Center on Trauma and Children; 7:38 minutes. Emily Smith, MPH is the Coordinator for the Well@Work Project at the University of Kentucky’s Center on Trauma and Children. 

Emily Smith shares some ways to mitigate the impact of the stress of recent years and help health care and behavioral health workers feel re-inspired to do their work. This podcast is provided through a grant from the Department of Behavioral Health Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities to the Center on Trauma and Children; 6:38 minutes. Emily Smith, MPH is the Coordinator for the Well@Work Project at the University of Kentucky’s Center on Trauma and Children. 

Andrea Helton shares ways that the written word, especially poetry, can change perspective during challenging times. This podcast is provided through a grant from the Department of Behavioral Health Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities to the Center on Trauma and Children; 8:56 minutes.  Andrea Helton, MSAOM, L.Ac., is an Acupuncture & Integrative Medicine Clinician at the University of Louisville Trager Institute.

Emily Smith discusses t how health care workers can help close the health gap that allowed COVID to impact some communities more than others. This podcast is provided through a grant from the Department of Behavioral Health Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities to the Center on Trauma and Children; 7:23 minutes. Emily Smith, BS is the Coordinator for the Well@Work Project at the University of Kentucky’s Center on Trauma and Children. 

Dr Stephanie Gusler discusses how health care providers can support children in COVID related grief and loss. This podcast is provided through a grant from the Department of Behavioral Health Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities to the Center on Trauma and Children; 8:47 minutes. Dr Gusler is an assistant professor at the University of Kentucky’s Center on Trauma and Children. 

Dr. Jessica Eslinger shares a technique called SOS and explains how mental focusing can help us cope in times of stress. This podcast is provided through a grant from the Department of Behavioral Health Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities to the Center on Trauma and Children; 5:20 minutes.  Dr. Eslinger is an assistant professor and a clinician at the University of Kentucky’s Center on Trauma and Children. 

Emily Smith shares some strategies to regain a sense of control to reduce the impact of the stress that comes from balancing work and home life This podcast is provided through a grant from the Department of Behavioral Health Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities to the Center on Trauma and Children; 7:51 minutes. Emily Smith, BS is the Coordinator for the Well@Work Project at the University of Kentucky’s Center on Trauma and Children. 

Emily Smith discusses how uncertainty can impact your well-being and offers tips to help you regain a feeling of control when uncertainty feels like the only constant. This podcast is provided through a grant from the Department of Behavioral Health Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities to the Center on Trauma and Children; 5:48 minutes. Emily Smith, BS is the Coordinator for the Well@Work Project at the University of Kentucky’s Center on Trauma and Children. 

Emily Smith shares some ways to meet the needs of extended families thrive in households that may vary widely in ages and stages. This podcast is provided through a grant from the Department of Behavioral Health Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities to the Center on Trauma and Children; 7:38 minutes. 

Adriana Molina comparte con nosotros cómo tener una red de pares saludable puede ayudar a controlar los síntomas del estrés traumático secundario, y ofrece consejos sobre cómo desarrollar una red de pares efectiva. Este podcast se proporciona a través de una subvención del Departamento de Salud del Comportamiento, Discapacidades Intelectuales y del Desarrollo al Centro de Trauma y Niños; 10:24 minutos. Adriana Molina shares with us about how having a healthy peer network can help manage symptoms of secondary traumatic stress, and offers tips for how to develop an effective peer network. This podcast is provided through a grant from the Department of Behavioral Health, Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities to the Center for Trauma and Children; 10:24 minutes.

Dr. Scott LaJoie helps us make sense of the challenges of medical misinformation and confusion in the decision making process to reduce moral distress for health care providers. This podcast is provided through grants from SAMHSA to the UK Center on Trauma and Children and the Kentucky Department of Behavioral Health, Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities; 6:53 minutes. Dr. LaJoie is a behavioral scientist and professor in the School of Public Health at the University of Louisville.   

Emily Smith shares developmentally appropriate ways to explain death and dying with young children and offers some strategies to help them process their grief. This podcast is provided through a grant from the Department of Behavioral Health Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities to the Center on Trauma and Children; 8:03 minutes.  Emily Smith, BS is the Coordinator for the Well@Work Project at the University of Kentucky’s Center on Trauma and Children. 

Emily Smith discusses the impact that unresolved negative emotions can have on our well-being and offers tips to regulate your emotions during challenging times. This podcast is provided through a grant from the Department of Behavioral Health Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities to the Center on Trauma and Children; 5:40 minutes. Emily Smith, BS is the Coordinator for the Well@Work Project at the University of Kentucky’s Center on Trauma and Children. 

Emily Smith explains how to practice self-compassion and discusses the impact it can have on your well-being. This podcast is provided through a grant from the Department of Behavioral Health Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities to the Center on Trauma and Children; 4:58 minutes.  Emily Smith, BS is the Coordinator for the Well@Work Project at the University of Kentucky’s Center on Trauma and Children.   

Emily Smith shares tips to boost your well-being by incorporating gratitude practices into your work. This podcast is provided through a grant from the Department of Behavioral Health Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities to the Center on Trauma and Children; 6:49 minutes. Emily Smith, BS is the Coordinator for the Well@Work Project at the University of Kentucky’s Center on Trauma and Children.     

Alex Clark shares tips to help families to make meaning out of stressful times, allowing them to build resiliency and better protect themselves in the future. This podcast is provided through a grant from the Department of Behavioral Health Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities to the Center on Trauma and Children; 6:37 minutes.  Alex Clark, MA, MDiv, LMFT is the Project Coordinator of the Secondary Traumatic Stress Innovations and Solutions Center and a clinician at the University of Kentucky Center on Trauma and Children.      

Emily Smith discusses the importance of empathy during the COVID pandemic and how cultivating empathy for others can benefit your well-being. This podcast is provided through a grant from the Department of Behavioral Health Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities to the Center on Trauma and Children; 5:19 minutes.

Emily Smith discusses how multitasking may reduce productivity and how to manage time during busy work days to maintain work goals and productivity. This podcast is provided through a grant from the Department of Behavioral Health Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities to the Center on Trauma and Children; 6:54 minutes. Emily Smith, BS is the Coordinator for the Well@Work Project at the University of Kentucky’s Center on Trauma and Children.     

Adriana Molina nos ayuda a comprender los efectos potenciales de la exposición indirecta al trauma en los profesionales. Ella define el término estrés traumático secundario, describe los síntomas y hace sugerencias sobre formas en que podemos ayudar a mitigar el riesgo de desarrollar STS durante la pandemia de COVID-19. Este podcast se proporciona a través de una subvención del Departamento de Salud del Comportamiento, Discapacidades Intelectuales y del Desarrollo al Centro de Trauma y Niños; 8:08 minutes.Adriana Molina helps us understand the potential effects of indirect trauma exposure on professionals. She defines the term secondary traumatic stress, describes symptoms, and makes suggestions for ways we can help mitigate the risk of developing STS during the COVID-19 pandemic. This podcast is provided through a grant from the Department of Behavioral Health, Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities to the Center for Trauma and Children; 8:08 minutes.

Emily Smith discusses why building strong social networks to support people of all ages during the COVID pandemic can help sustain us during challenging times. This podcast is provided through a grant from the Department of Behavioral Health Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities to the Center on Trauma and Children; 7:56 minutes. Emily Smith, BS is the Coordinator for the Well@Work Project at the University of Kentucky’s Center on Trauma and Children.   

Dr. Ginny Sprang explains the self-care strategy PRN and shares how it may reduce unwanted symptoms of stress to boost well-being. Dr. Ginny Sprang is a professor of psychiatry in the University of Kentucky College of Medicine and is the Executive Director of the University of Kentucky Center on Trauma and Children (CTAC). She is also the principal investigator of the Secondary Traumatic Stress Innovations and Solutions Center at CTAC.    

Emily Smith discusses how building healthy eating habits can lead to greater family well-being and resilience. This podcast is provided through a grant from the Department of Behavioral Health Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities to the Center on Trauma and Children; 5:25 minutes.  Emily Smith, BS is the Coordinator for the Well@Work Project at the University of Kentucky’s Center on Trauma and Children.      

Dr. Scott LaJoie helps us understand the benefits of being actively hopeful, the differences between pathways thinking and agency thinking, and how to avoid the risks of being passively optomistic. This podcast is provided through grants from SAMHSA to the UK Center on Trauma and Children (#H79SM082826) and the Kentucky Department of Behavioral Health, Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities; 5:28 minutes. Dr. LaJoie is a behavioral scientist and professor in the School of Public Health at the University of Louisville. 

Emily Smith shares ways the COVID pandemic has increased digital media use among adolescents and offers some tips for families to manage media consumption. This podcast is provided through a grant from the Department of Behavioral Health Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities to the Center on Trauma and Children; 6:52 minutes.  Emily Smith, BS is the Coordinator for the Well@Work Project at the University of Kentucky’s Center on Trauma and Children.      

Dr. Ginny Sprang helps us understand what contributes to COVID fatigue and how to reduce its impact. She also offers tips to help bolster the drive to fight the fatigue and stress we may be feeling during the ongoing COVID pandemic. This podcast is provided through a grant from the Department of Behavioral Health Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities to the Center on Trauma and Children; 6:59 minutes.  Dr. Ginny Sprang is a professor of psychiatry in the University of Kentucky College of Medicine and is the Executive Director of the University of Kentucky Center on Trauma and Children (CTAC). She is also the principal investigator of the Secondary Traumatic Stress Innovations and Solutions Center at CTAC.    

Emily Smith shares some tips for caregivers returning to the workplace after COVID-19 closures to help balance work and caregiving responsibilities. This podcast is provided through a grant from the Department of Behavioral Health Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities to the Center on Trauma and Children; 6:06 minutes.  Emily Smith, BS is the Coordinator for the Well@Work Project at the University of Kentucky’s Center on Trauma and Children.      

Josh Fisherkeller helps us prepare to give a death notification with strategies and tips to help us through this difficult conversation. This podcast is provided through a grant from the Department of Behavioral Health Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities to the Center on Trauma and Children; 5:10 minutes.  Josh Fisherkeller, MSW is the Training Manager at the University of Kentucky’s Center on Trauma and Children.      

Emily Smith shares how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted those with substance used disorder and offers evidence-based tips professionals can use to address substance misuse with their clients. This podcast is provided through a grant from the Department of Behavioral Health Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities to the Center on Trauma and Children; 8:02 minutes.  Emily Smith, BS is the Coordinator for the Well@Work Project at the University of Kentucky’s Center on Trauma and Children.      

Cambria Rose Walsh shares with us the stages of onboarding new employees, from pre-employment through orientation, ensuring employee integration into the current organizational culture. This podcast is provided through a grant from the Department of Behavioral Health Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities to the Center on Trauma and Children; 5:40 minutes.  Cambria Rose Walsh, LCSW is an expert in trauma informed care, systems change and secondary traumatic stress. 

Description: Emily Smith shares how to plan for a safe return to the workplace after COVID-19 restrictions are lifted. This podcast is provided through a grant from the Department of Behavioral Health Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities to the Center on Trauma and Children; 5:02 minutes.  Emily Smith, BS is the Coordinator for the Well@Work Project at the University of Kentucky’s Center on Trauma and Children.      

Dr. Jessica Eslinger helps us to reflect on how to make meaning from the changes caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, helping us to process our thoughts and feelings so that we can move towards a hopeful future.  This podcast is provided through a grant from the Department of Behavioral Health Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities to the Center on Trauma and Children; 6:34 minutes.  Dr. Eslinger is an assistant professor and a clinician at the University of Kentucky’s Center on Trauma and Children.