Ethical Responsibility
Linda was an elementary and middle school counselor in New Orleans when Hurricane
Katrina made landfall. The population of her school scattered around the United States after the storm, and my school did not officially open until after the winter break in January, 2006. Though she initially evacuated to Atlanta, Georgia, she relocated one week later to another city in Louisiana where she accepted a temporary job as an elementary school counselor. The school in the other city accepted over a hundred new students who were hurricane Katrina evacuees, some of whom were students from my school in New Orleans. All of the students and families were struggling to adapt to a new way of living and at the same time struggling to learn any information that they could related to their homes. Communication was a challenge in those first few weeks after the storm, and it was impossible to know if everyone from her school had evacuated safely. Personally, she was struggling with the same types of challenges as the families with whom she worked. She did not know if she had lost her home or her job in New Orleans, and she was unsure if all of her friends and family were safe. Her memories of that time are limited. She spends her days working with students who have lost possessions, family members and their sense of safety. She finds herself dreaming about the students and compelled to take them food and clothing to assist them in replacing their lost identities. Her co-workers are concerned because she seems to be experiencing intrusive thoughts and compulsive behaviors in response to her drive to assist students. Her principal has heard rumors that she has invited the family of her students to sleep in her apartment. She has been observed on multiple occasions handing out lunches that she purchases each day to feed students. What are the signs and symptoms that Linda is potentially experiencing vicarious trauma? Would you consider her impaired?
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