Looking after yourself and others
Working with spontaneous memorial collections can be emotionally laboured and, at times, difficult. It’s important to have a clear strategy in place for looking after yourself and your team.
Safeguarding your psychosocial wellbeing: looking after yourself and others
Shona Whitton is a Technical Advisor in Mental Health and Psychosocial Support at the IFRC Psychosocial Centre with a focus on MHPSS in emergencies.
The impact of collecting spontaneous memorials on the wellbeing of cultural professionals
Jen Kavanagh, freelance curator and oral historian, UK
Providing emotional support for volunteer groups
From community members helping to clear a memorial site, to in-house museum volunteers looking to assist with curatorial work, supporting the emotional wellbeing of volunteers is vital.
Support, Resources and Toolkits
Engaging with material relating to trauma is emotionally laboured and can be at times distressing. It is important to have a care plan in place and to know where to find the right support, training and guidance.
Emotional Support Guides
Archives and Records Association (ARA) offer a number of guides and resources to support practitioners at work, including guidance for managers with staff working with disturbing material
Mental health resources
Mind offers many useful resources to help you learn more about mental health and wellbeing in the workplace, including links to online training and webinars.
Psychological first aid
Psychological first aid is a form of helping that involves paying attention to a person’s reactions, active listening
and practical assistance to help address immediate problems and basic needs.
Vicarious trauma
This resource maps out simple strategies for how to cope with the aftermath of traumatic incidents and spot the signs of trauma in those who have been involved in caring for others.
Psychological first aid
This guide reflects the emerging science
and international consensus on how to support people in the aftermath of
stressful events.
A trauma-informed approach
This toolkit is designed to assist practitioners implement a trauma-informed approach to their work so that all users feel safe and supported.