Lori J. Watson is enrolled in Webster University’s Master of Arts program in Professional Counseling (Clinical Mental Health emphasis). She has a bachelor’s degree in secondary education from Concordia University, Ann Arbor, and a Professional in Human Resource (PHR) certification. Watson’s research focus is in secondary traumatic stress/vicarious trauma, specifically compassion fatigue (CF) and the impact of CF on first responders, law enforcement professionals, and other helping professions. She has written about the neurobiology of trauma, the effects of compassion fatigue on law enforcement officers and other helping professions, and on the effects of secondary trauma on first responders’ postvention practices. She has presented on secondary traumatic stress in nurses and among law enforcement officers; specifically recognizing the signs and differences between burnout and compassion fatigue when secondary traumatic stress is present. Watson’s manuscript on CF in law enforcement officers is currently in review mode for publication at the FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin, an international criminal justice publication.
Watson’s current professional role is Deputy Title IX & HR Coordinator at Webster University; before this role, she served as a paralegal at the University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy where her interest in law solidified. At Webster, Watson provides educational programming on sexual assault, domestic violence, and stalking and conducts investigations on sexual harassment claims which ignited her interest in the impact of vicarious trauma. She also provides wellness and mental health programming for the University at large. She has participated in a variety of legal and human resource training and education including Clery Act and Violence Against Women Act compliance, Court Appointed Special Advocate techniques, Interpersonal Communication, Workplace Harassment Prevention, and Management, Restoring the Soul After Sexual Trauma, and Understanding Transgender Issues in the Workplace. Watson is a member of the National Association of Legal Assistants, the Missouri Peace Officers Association, the American Counseling Association, and the Association of Title IX Administrators.
Presentation(s):
Compassion Fatigue among First Responders