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Parallel Process and Organizational Stress

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THE PARALLEL PROCESS NATURE OF

ORGANIZATIONAL STRESS

Sandra L. Bloom, M.D.

Organizational Dynamic

Trauma-based Parallel Process

Social service systems today are experiencing significant stress.

CHRONIC STRESSORS: HOSTILE ENVIRONMENT

In many helping organizations, neither the staff nor the administrators feel particularly safe with their clients or even with each other.

LACK OF BASIC SAFETY

Atmospheres of recurrent or constant crisis severely constrain the ability of staff to:

constructively confront problems, engage in complex problem-solving, and involve all levels of staff in decision making processes.

LOSS OF EMOTIONAL MANAGEMENT

Communication networks tend to break down under stress and as this occurs, service delivery becomes increasingly fragmented, and organizational memory is lost.

DISSOCIATION, FRAGMENTATION, AMNESIA

When communication networks break down so too do the feedback loops that are necessary for consistent and timely error correction.

SYSTEMATIC ERROR

As decision-making becomes increasingly non- participatory and problem solving more reactive an increasing number of short-sighted policy decisions are made that appear to compound existing problems.

LOSS OF DEMOCRATIC PROCESSES and PARTICIPATORY MANAGEMENT, LOSS OF COMPLEXITY, IMPAIRED COGNITION

Unresolved interpersonal conflicts increase and are not resolved.

IMPOVERISHED RELATIONSHIPS

As the situation feels increasingly out of control, organizational leaders become more controlling, instituting ever more punitive measures in an attempt to forestall chaos.

INCREASED AUTHORITARIANISM, LOSS OF CRITICAL JUDGMENT, SILENCING OF DISSENT, INCREASED CONFORMITY

As the organization becomes more hierarchical there is a progressive and
simultaneous isolation of leaders, loss of critical judgment, and a “dumbing down” of staff

DISEMPOWERMENT, HELPLESSNESS

Staff respond to the perceived punitive measures instituted by leaders by acting-out and passive- aggressive behaviors.

INCREASED AGGRESSION

Loss of key staff and leaders due to downsizing. Standards of care deteriorate and quality assurance standards are lowered in an attempt to deny or hide this deterioration.

UNRESOLVED GRIEF

Over time, leaders and staff lose sight of the essential purpose of their work together and derive less and less satisfaction and meaning from the work.

LOSS OF MEANING

When this spiral is occurring, staff feel increasingly angry, demoralized, “burned out”, helpless and hopeless about the people they are working to serve.

DEMORALIZATION

Ultimately, if this destructive sequence is not arrested, the organization begins to look and act in uncannily similar ways to the traumatized clients it is supposed to be helping.

SELF-DESTRUCTIVE BEHAVIOR, FORE-SHORTENED FUTURE,

LOSS OF CREATIVE PROBLEM-SOLVING

Curriculum

A Trauma-Informed Psychoeducational Group Curriculum

S.E.L.F. represents the four nonlinear, key areas of recovery that provide an organizing framework for the complex problems presented by trauma survivors, by families with problems, and by chronically stressed organizations.

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Books by Dr. Sandra L. Bloom

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SanctuaryWeb.com is your resource to gain insight into The Sanctuary Model. Research and purchase S.E.L.F Curriculums. Browse and read published articles, as well as, purchase books written by Dr. Sandra L. Bloom.

Sandra L. Bloom, M.D.Associate Professor, Health Management and Policy, Dornsife School of Public Health, Drexel University

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