This handout aims to help frontline workers better understand and address how their mental health can be impacted when their work involves challenging circumstances and supporting clients with complex needs, traumatic experiences, and emotional needs. For newcomer clients, these needs come as the result of their changing circumstances as they settle in new communities and face the difficulties of their settlement experience. Frontline workers then become important points of support during these difficult times, often taking on roles as crisis counsellors, despite this falling outside of their scope of work and training. Accessible mental health resources and tools are important to help frontline workers in such positions feel supported.

This handout includes key definitions of psychological states that frontline workers supporting the mental health of clients may experience. The importance of self-care for frontline workers is highlighted throughout the document and a set of self-care strategies and support resources are provided with accompanying descriptions.

Click here for the handout.