Care for the Caregivers: Awake Implements Support Offerings for Staff and Volunteers
Over the past nine months, Awake's Staff and Leadership Team have engaged in ongoing reflection about how we can better care for those who give their time, energy, and hearts to this mission.
This work can be emotionally demanding, and secondary trauma is very real. Many on our team also carry their own past experiences of trauma, which can add another layer of complexity to navigate in this work. While we have always been intentional about supporting one another personally, we came to recognize the need for additional external resources and structured peer support to help process the heavy conversations and difficult stories that are at the heart of Awake’s mission. Because we are committed to the wellbeing of our volunteers and staff, we want to prioritize building a culture of care for all who are involved in this work.
I am excited to share that we are now launching a new initiative that we’re calling “Care for the Caregivers,” which offers a range of opportunities that our Staff, Survivor Circle Team, Leadership Team, Board of Directors, and key volunteers can access for emotional, psychological, and spiritual support. This initiative is one way we can live out Awake’s core value of compassion—while also helping ensure that those who carry this mission can do so in a healthy way for years to come.
Support Group
Chanelle Henderson, LPC
One of the needs expressed by many on our team was dedicated time together to process the impacts of this work, beyond what is possible at our regular meetings. We are grateful to be partnering with our friend Chanelle Henderson, LPC, who will facilitate a confidential monthly drop-in support group for those on the Awake team who would like to participate. Each meeting will begin with psychoeducation on a topic relevant to our work with Awake, followed by a facilitated discussion. Participants will help shape the format and topics over time to meet their specific needs. This support group will begin in June 2026.
Individual Spiritual Conversations
Lisa Cusmano
We also want to support the spiritual lives of those involved in this work. Conversations about abuse and institutional betrayal in a religious setting can deeply affect a person’s spiritual life, and we believe spiritual care is an important part of sustaining those who serve this mission. As we shared last month, Lisa Cusmano is transitioning from her position as a voting member of the Board of Directors to serve in a non-voting board position and begin a new role as chaplain for Awake’s leaders. Lisa is an experienced spiritual director and, as part of this new role, she is offering individual spiritual conversations to anyone on the Awake team who would like to explore spiritual questions and their relationship with God in the context of Awake’s work. Some team members have already begun taking advantage of this offering.
Skill-Building Training on Vicarious Trauma
Awake's staff and certain key volunteers have completed the Vicarious Trauma Training Certificate Program offered remotely by the Boston College School of Social Work. This training provides foundational education on topics including the neurobiology of trauma responses, tools for nervous system regulation, and navigating the impact of trauma work on personal relationships. We are also exploring options for offering a more in-depth, customized training related to managing emotional load and thriving in caregiving roles. We hope to offer professionally-facilitated sessions that focus on unpacking scenarios unique to Awake and developing individual processing and emotional regulation strategies.
We are currently seeking funds to support this initiative. If you value the wellbeing of our staff and volunteers and want to support these offerings, you can make a donation here with the note “Care for the Caregivers” or reach out to me at saralarson@awakecommunity.org.
Mutual Support Partners
Through their own initiative, some volunteers have begun pairing up with one another for peer-based emotional support when challenging situations and emotions arise in this work. While many of us lean on family and friends for support, it can also be helpful to jump on a quick phone call with someone who understands Awake’s work and can help process a difficult Survivor Circle, an event that stirred up complicated feelings, or an encounter that hit particularly hard. These partnerships are intended to foster deeper connection and help ensure that no one carries the emotional weight of this work alone.
At Awake, we believe that the way we carry out our mission matters just as much as the mission itself. While this remains an area of continued growth for us, we hope these efforts not only strengthen and sustain those involved in Awake’s work but also model healthier ways of caring for people engaged in ministry and trauma-related work.
—Sara Larson, Executive Director
