Vicarious Trauma: A Workers Perspective
This workshop will discuss the issues of vicarious trauma by using stories that I have lived through and how to cope. The workshop will continue by discussing how we can do this for so long and not go crazy. Attendees will learn to talk about it and come to help all in the field and start reducing suicides and the growing problems with PTSD. Learn not to suffer in silence….it happens to the best of us.
Sgt. Jim Sears has been a law enforcement officer for over 30 years working with the Irving Police Department in Irving, Texas. He has served as a Patrol Officer, School Resource Officer, and Detective in the Youth Services Unit, Domestic Violence Unit, and Child Abuse Unit. Sgt. Sears has worked as a Detective in the Child Abuse Unit for ten years before being promoted to Sgt. He worked 6 Y. years as the supervisor for the Domestic Violence, Child Abuse, and Youth Service Units at the Irving Family Advocacy Center before retiring in September of 2015. A dedicated advocate of children and the elderly. Jim is Texas Commission (T.C.0.L.E) on Law Enforcement instructor specializing in Domestic Violence and Child Abuse, an Instructor at the Crimes Against Children's Conference in Dallas for many years, is a Certified Instructor for Advanced Child Abuse Investigations through Texas Municipal Police Association (T.M.P.A.), is on the coordinator for the Fox Valley I N.C.J.T.C. in their national training project for the Conducting Unexplained Child Death investigations, instructor for the Zero Abuse Project (ZAP) formerly the Gundersen National Child Protection Training Center, and an Adjunct instructor for Tarrant County College Law Enforcement Academy in Ft. Worth and Hill College. Sgt. Sears is the 2011 recipient of the Lt. Bill Walsh Award for the Dallas Children's Advocacy Center for career achievements in the field of Child Abuse Investigations. Sgt. Sears is a six-time recipient of the Nick Fowler award from Tarrant County College as the Outstanding I Favorite Instructor for the Basic Police Officers Academy. Sgt. Sears frequently lectures on topics related to child abuse investigations, interview and interrogation, and crime scene investigations centered on Domestic Violence and Child Abuse cases. A father of three wonderful boys, Sgt. Sears has dedicated his career to bringing justice to the victims of domestic violence, child abuse, elderly abuse, and the mentally disabled.
