The MDP Stress Management Program

Services Include:

"The stress management workshops you conducted, the sessions on boundary issues, and the meetings you facilitated helped identify which support services would be most beneficial to our staff in order to reduce stress, prevent burnout and ultimately serve our clients in the best way possible." David Ferguson Assistant Director JBFCS Day Program

• Organizational assessments and technical assistance for managers to reduce stress in the workplace
• Individual stress management sessions at the worksite
• Stress Management Workshops

Typical Outcomes

• Reduced personal and workplace stress that results in:
  • improved work performance
  • improved communication
  • more satisfactory interpersonal experiences
  • healthier life style choices

Stress Management Workshops

• For Managers and Supervisors
• For Human Service Professionals
• For Educators
• For Direct Service Workers
• Time Management to Reduce Stress
• Helping Children Manage Stress
• Helping the Elderly Manage Stress
• Managing the Stress of Chronic Health Issues
• Managing Everyday Stress

Read on for workshop descriptions

Stress Management for Managers and Supervisors

We often hear statements like “it is lonely at the top” or “the middle management squeeze” when referring to the life of a manager or supervisor.

Participants will experience the so often needed sense of support for managers. They will learn techniques to identify organizational stressors and to distinguish between those that they can act upon and those that they cannot control. They will learn how to lessen the stress of managing workers with diverse sets of skills, experience, and cultural backgrounds. The relationship between job stress and personal stress will be examined. Participants will experience relaxation techniques that they can utilize on the job and at home.

Stress Management for Human Service Professionals

Human service professionals take care of others, but frequently neglect themselves. They frequently face issues of establishing boundaries, disclosure about themselves and meeting expectations of themselves, their clients and their organization. Sometimes they take on the issues of their clients. Time constraints, paper work, insurance requirements, the emphasis on outcomes and an ever increasing caseload contribute to the stress level.

Participants will gain an understanding of the influence of their experiences, training and cultural background on how they provide service. They will learn ways to lessen the stress that comes with helping others, including avoiding compassion fatigue. They will experience stress management techniques to use for themselves and with their clients.

Stress Management for Educators

In today’s times, educators are not just teachers; they experience having to address social, family and safety issues of their students. Educators are also under scrutiny and pressure to ensure that “no child is left behind.”

Participants will explore the relationship between their changing role and the subsequent stress. Coping strategies will be learned, including but not limited to, understanding the relationship between thoughts, behaviors and emotions; ways to address the expectations of others and those we place on ourselves; and relaxation techniques.

Stress Management for Direct Care Workers

Direct care workers are employed in a variety of settings-home health care, skilled nursing facilities, residences for the developmentally disabled, mentally ill or chemically dependent, to name a few. They often feel overlooked or unappreciated, carrying out directives from others which they may or may not agree with, yet developing a close connection to their clients.

Participants will address the stress of providing direct care to clients, including boundary issues, relationships to professional providers and attachment to clients. They will examine their patterns of response to client needs and behaviors and ways of lessening the stress that some of these provoke in them. Relaxation techniques will be experienced.

Time Management to Reduce Stress

Participants will identify ways that they have increased their own expectations of what they can accomplish and how unrealistic expectations and attitude can lead to “overload” and a high level of stress.

Participants will focus on managing their time in ways that lessen stress and that lead to a more positive balance between the responsibilities of work and home and “play.”

Managing Anger As A Source and Consequence of Stress

Anger is a common response experienced by everyone. Anger becomes problematic when it is not recognized or expressed and then turned inward or when it is excessive in frequency, duration and expression and far exceeds what the average person would experience in a similar situation.

Participants will learn about the consequences of avoiding feelings or excessively responding with anger. They will understand the importance of good communication as a coping strategy. The influence of their past and of their family and cultural background will be examined. Participants will develop techniques for managing anger and stress that takes these influences into account and that enable them to have more satisfactory relationships with others.

Helping Children Manage Stress

Children, especially young children, tend to address issues and feelings through play or action rather than through talk. We can learn a lot about children’s reactions to stress through observation of these.

Participants will learn about the signs and consequences of stress in children and what children need from adults in times of stress. The relationship between adult and child patterns of response to stress will be examined.

Participants will learn techniques that help children cope with stress and will also experience relaxation techniques for adults.

This workshop is available for parents and other child caregivers and for professional who work with children.

MDP offers individual and group stress management services. They can be scheduled privately or on site.

Helping The Elderly Manage Stress

There are common sources of stress associated with the elderly that too often are overlooked. Physical symptoms often mask psychological ones. The physical symptoms get treated, but the underlying cause may not be addressed.

Participants will learn about the sources, symptoms and consequences of stress for the elderly. They will acquire tools that can keep the stress from becoming too overwhelming.

This workshop is available for the elderly and for those working with the elderly.

Managing The Stress of Chronic Health Issues

The onset of a serious acute illness or a chronic health problem generally requires an adjustment in our lives, both for ourselves and frequently for those close to us. Our own response and those of others can increase our stress level, exasperating the physical problems.

Participants will learn about the relationship between physical and mental wellness. They will develop tools to manage the stress associated with illness, including relaxation techniques.

MDP offers individual and group stress management services. They can be scheduled privately or on site.