Professional Wellbeing
Overview
Front-line caregivers, including health care workers and school-based providers, have endured atypically high stress levels since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. High mortality, increased health care demands, rationing of basic health care supplies, and moral injury are common causes of burnout during an infectious disease outbreak. In addition to the harmful mental health impacts, burnout can impact performance, meaning it is crucial for us to make the mental health and well-being of these populations a priority.
Fortunately, there are steps we can take to improve professional well-being. While many people, especially in health care, are likely familiar with self-care strategies, these strategies are often misunderstood or underutilized. Sometimes, attention to well-being can even feel challenging or burdensome. My goal in co-developing the Adult Resilience Curriculum (ARC) and Seven C’s frameworks is to help educators and healthcare providers incorporate research-backed well-being practices into their lives in new and innovative ways.
The Adult Resilience Curriculum
The Adult Resilience Curriculum, or ARC, is a 10-module model for implementing well-being at both the individual and organizational level. The curriculum is rooted in adult positive psychology and organizational well-being theories, and it has been adapted to apply across medical and educational settings. More information can be found here.
The modules can be accessed freely here, courtesy of the Mid-America Mental Health Technology Transfer Center (MHTTC) Network.
Each module is equipped with corresponding activities for learners to complete. Participation in the learning activities is a critical aspect of the program. Activities can be accessed through the ARC Digital Workbook.
The Seven C’s for Coping in a Crisis
Anchored in research on wellbeing and resilience, the Seven C’s is a coping framework designed to enhance psychological resilience of caring professionals in the face of a crisis. Trainings focus on concrete strategies for caregivers to reduce distress and improve overall mental health while continuing to contribute meaningfully to their respective fields.
The Seven C’s is typically delivered as a 2-hour training session that combines didactic teaching, hands-on activities, and group discussion. Participants gain practical tools for helping themselves and others around them to survive and thrive.
Example training materials can be found here.