Workshop
Building Mental Strength for Career Sustainability
Sunday September 23rd, 2018 // 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm // 102B
Retaining trained employees is crucial to every organization. The National Sexual Assault Kit Initiative has led to the funding of DNA testing for over 100,000 sexual assault kits. Large processing efforts expose forensic scientists to thousands of violent crimes in condensed time frames. Sustaining the mental capacity to process violent crime evidence while increasing efficiency, reducing turnaround times, and handling legislative changes takes trained skill sets. Vicarious trauma and chronic stress can easily endue without consideration of the scientists’ mindset. This workshop is designed to provide mental strength skill sets that can lead to increased resilience for overall career sustainability.
Learning Outcomes:
Attendees will learn how to determine symptoms of vicarious trauma and chronic stress in employees, colleagues, or themselves. Guided mental strength training exercises will provide attendees with actionable skills they can use in the moment to overcome stress and vicarious trauma as well as long-term solutions to increase mental fortitude and performance. The workshop is interactive and includes lecture, discussion, self-reflection, and hands on techniques.
Intended Audience:
The intended audience is forensic management and staff who are exposed to violent crime processing and/or workplace stress. No prerequisite is required. This training is suitable for those who have a mental strength training practice or beginners.
Agenda:
Time | Description | Lead Facilitator |
1:00 – 1:15pm | Introduction/opening activity | Amy |
1:15 – 1:40pm | Responding to work crisis: stress, burnout, and vicarious trauma | Becki |
1:40 – 1:55pm | Resilience and destressifying | Amy |
1:55 – 2:10pm | Biological response to stress | Becki |
2:10 – 2:25pm | Tactical exercise: breath/body awareness | Amy |
2:25 – 2:45pm | Break with refreshments | |
2:45 – 2:55pm | Tactical exercise: mindful movement | Amy |
2:55 – 3:10pm | Emotional response to stress | Becki |
3:10 – 3:30pm | Elements of emotional intelligence | Amy |
3:30 – 3:40pm | Tactical exercise: finding the space to respond | Amy |
3:40 – 3:55pm | Creating intentions and commitments to wellbeing | Amy |
3:55 – 4:00pm | Closing and Q/A | Both |
Speakers

Private: Amy JeanguenatChair
Principle Consultant at Mindgen, LLC
Amy Jeanguenat has spent her career working in the private forensic industry supporting efforts world-wide to prevent and eliminate DNA backlogs, refine operational logistics, and provide quality and technical system support. In 2016, she launched Mindgen, LLC merging her interests in developing best practices for forensic science with the effects of mindfulness on human performance.
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Private: Rebecca Campbell
Professor of Psychology, Michigan State University
Dr. Rebecca Campbell is a Professor of Psychology at Michigan State University. Dr. Campbell’s research examines how contact with the legal and medical systems affects adult, adolescent, and pediatric victims’ psychological and physical health.
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