The OVC Vicarious Trauma Toolkit (VTT) introduces a new model for examining and conceptualizing the effects of vicarious trauma along a spectrum of reactions to the work-related trauma exposure that victim service providers and first responders experience every day. The VTT focuses on organizational responses to work-related exposure to trauma. While some resources in the toolkit may be useful to individuals, the VTT is intended to provide organizations with the tools they need to fulfill their responsibility to support staff and become more vicarious trauma-informed.

The VTT is intended for victim service providers as well as allied professionals (e.g., law enforcement, emergency medical personnel, fire departments) who may also interact with people experiencing trauma.

You can access the OVC Vicarious Trauma Toolkit on the OVC website.

How To Use the Vicarious Trauma Toolkit

OVC has several resources to assist organizations in using the VTT effectively.

The Blueprint provides guidance on using the Vicarious Trauma-Organizational Readiness Guide (VT-ORG) to assess your organization's current capacity as a vicarious trauma-informed organization and offers suggestions on how to use the Compendium of Resources, including the New Tools for the Field, created specifically for the VTT. You can access the VTT Blueprint here.