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Type: Article

Supporting Staff in Setting Healthy Boundaries: A Guide for Employers & Managers

By andrewwalsh

In community social services, boundaries serve as essential safeguards for both clients and staff, ensuring equitable, and effective relationships. While individual staff members must maintain their own boundaries, employers and managers play a crucial role in creating an environment that supports and reinforces these practices. Why Boundaries Are Important When boundaries become blurred, organizations often … Continued

Healthy Boundaries in Community Social Services: A Practical Guide

By andrewwalsh

As community social service workers, we enter this field driven by compassion and a genuine desire to help others. However, our ability to provide effective, sustainable support depends on establishing and maintaining clear boundaries. This guide explores the essential aspects of healthy boundaries and provides practical strategies for implementing them in your daily practice. Understanding … Continued

Understanding the Work: Psychological Demands in Social Services

By andrewwalsh

Social service work is deeply rewarding, but it also comes with inherent risks, as workers often become emotionally and mentally invested due to the nature of the work. Recognizing the psychological demands and expectations that accompany this work is crucial for addressing psychological hazards, safeguarding worker wellness, and preparing them for the emotional challenges they … Continued

Building a Trauma-Informed Workplace in Hospitality: A Manager’s Guide

By andrewwalsh

In the fast-paced world of tourism and hospitality, creating exceptional guest experiences is our bread and butter. But behind every great service interaction and seamless operation lies a complex web of human experiences that managers must navigate with care and understanding. Our industry presents unique challenges – from irregular schedules and high-stress periods to constant … Continued

Understanding Trauma in the Workplace: A Guide for Tourism & Hospitality Workers

By andrewwalsh

Working in hospitality means being part of a dynamic, fast-paced environment where we interact with countless people every day. While this makes our work exciting, it also means we’re regularly connecting with colleagues who may be carrying invisible burdens. Understanding trauma and how to support each other can make our workplace stronger and more supportive … Continued

Eating Disorders: The Hidden Illness in The Food Industry

By ellie

Eating disorders among people who work in restaurants are far from rare. They’re just not always seen. In the hectic world of the hospitality industry, a silent mental illness often goes unnoticed: eating disorders among restaurant workers. A 2020 survey revealed that 90 percent of the Not 9 to 5 community faced mental health or … Continued

Protecting Yourself While Helping Others: Understanding and Mitigating Vicarious Trauma

By andrewwalsh

Front-line workers in community social services dedicate themselves to supporting others, often facing emotionally intense situations. While deeply meaningful, this work can sometimes lead to vicarious trauma, an emotional toll that arises from witnessing the trauma of those you serve, listening to traumatic experiences, and empathetically engaging with individuals experiencing trauma. Understanding vicarious trauma, recognizing … Continued

Recognizing & Addressing Vicarious Trauma in the Workplace

By andrewwalsh

As a manager or employer in the community social services sector, you play a critical role in supporting employees who are at risk of vicarious trauma. This occupational hazard, stemming from exposure to the trauma of others, can affect staff well-being and productivity if not addressed. Understanding and mitigating its effects is essential to creating … Continued

Cooking Up Connection: 5 Minute Check-In Recipe

By ellie

In the fast-paced tourism and hospitality industry, where efficiency, morale, and teamwork drive success, creating a culture of regular employee check-ins can transform your business. These moments of connection aren’t just “nice-to-haves”—they directly impact your bottom line. According to Gallup, the behaviors of highly engaged business units—including greater attentiveness to customer needs, stronger adherence to … Continued

Name, Claim and Reframe: Personal Stress Tools

By ellie

Stress is inevitable. In the workplace, we regularly experience stressors due to work demands, changes to processes and systems, or conflict with co-workers. And because we aren’t robots, factors in our personal lives impact our reaction to stressors in the workplace. Stress can be a positive force. It can motivate action or change that leads … Continued