Book Review: Stress, Trauma, and Decision-Making for Social Workers

Stress, Trauma, and Decision-Making for Social Workers, by Cheryl Regehr, Columbia University Press, ISBN: 9780231180139, New York, Chichester, West Sussex, 2018, 328 pages, $35.00.

    We, as social workers, know and are educated on the effect and impact that trauma plays in the lives of many of our clients. We learn how to recognize trauma and provide appropriate evidence-based interventions to mitigate trauma with those we serve. However, we seldom take time to work on addressing our exposure to stress and trauma. Acute and long-term exposure to stress can ultimately lead to burnout, posttraumatic stress, and even poor decision-making. It is crucial to our longevity and productivity in the field to take care of ourselves. Regehr does an excellent job of highlighting this in her book. If we are not taking care of our well-being, our decision-making could negatively affect those we serve.

    This book specifically looks at the impact that trauma and stress have on professional decision-making in social work. The book is full of scholarly research that can be easily translated into daily practice, helping to bridge the chasm between research and practice. It is aimed at helping social workers in all areas of practice make ethical and sound decisions. Regehr breaks down the types of decision-making tools available and explains the research behind each tool. Further, the author also provides an easy-to-follow decision tree template and multiple examples of charts, graphs, and data related to decision-making. These tools would be an incredible asset to social work leaders who are training and providing supervision to social workers in the field.

    Day in and day out, social workers are responsible for making decisions that have an impact on vulnerable populations, but do we have the self-awareness and knowledge around our trauma exposure to make these decisions in an unbiased way that is best for those we serve? Reading this book will enhance your decision-making repertoire and help you to make informed, ethical decisions.

Reviewed by Amy Ward, BSW, MSW, LCSW, University of Southern California Doctoral Student, East Central University Social Work Program Director.