FOREST Program to Prevent Burnout and Improve Well-being in UCAN Frontline Gun Violence Prevention Staff A 9-Month Positive Emotion Skills Training with Online and In-Person Components

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are evaluating the FOREST program, a positive emotion skills training designed to support mental health and coping for frontline violence prevention workers at UCAN. This program aims to improve well-being and resilience among staff, potentially reducing burnout and turnover by fostering positive emotions and organizational culture change. The study is interventional and focuses on staff working in gun violence prevention programs. The FOREST program delivers training on ten positive emotion skills over nine months. Each month, one or two skills are taught during one-hour wellness meetings co-led by UCAN staff called Positive Emotion Ambassadors and Northwestern University. These sessions include teaching, practice, and discussion of skill application at work and home. Additionally, monthly online modules covering the same skills are provided through UCANs Learning Management System, which staff are required to complete. Implementation is supported by an Implementation Resource Team that observes sessions and provides ongoing training. Participants will engage in monthly skill sessions and complete online modules over nine months. Annual assessments via REDCap will measure outcomes such as burnout, positive affect, depression, anxiety, trauma exposure, PTSD symptoms, meaning and purpose, and professional well-being. Annual interviews and focus groups will collect feedback on program implementation. The study will also track staff turnover, retention, promotion, and sick day usage. Overall participation spans at least one year, including follow-up assessments.

Fostering Optimal Regulation of Emotion for Prevention of Secondary Trauma (FOREST)