How to Handle a Porcupine: Strategies for Professional Resilience & Sustainability for 988 Crisis Professionals & Supervisors

Course overview

This presentation is designed for non-clinical 988 crisis workers and their supervisors, whose work often involves repeated exposure to acute distress, suicide-related content and emotionally intense interactions. Because crisis professionals face a high risk of secondary traumatic stress, compassion fatigue and burnout, there is a clear need for sustainable, realistic interventions that support well-being without adding more burden. This presentation highlights practical strategies that can help staff and supervisors strengthen resilience, improve emotional regulation and build daily practices that support long-term sustainability in crisis work, including mindfulness, reflective supervision, intentional self-care and mental health support. After completing this training, participants will be able to: 1. Differentiate compassion fatigue, burnout and secondary traumatic stress as they present in 988 crisis work. 2. Identify common risk factors and protective factors that influence helper wellbeing and sustainability in crisis settings. 3. Explain how mindfulness, self-compassion, supervision, realistic self-care and mental health support can strengthen resilience and long-term sustainability. 4. Apply at least two brief strategies that can be used during or after crisis support work to support regulation and recovery. 5. Evaluate how supervisors and teams can create conditions that support sustainable care, including at least one actionable support at the team or supervisory level.