Working in the Child Welfare system is uniquely challenging. We are tasked to help, to understand, to advocate, and to support families at critical junctures when they have experienced or caused incredible trauma. This session engages participants in the process of acknowledging the pain and growth of such work by exploring the impact of the work on the helper and how we cope. We will dig into the complexity of the work and its effect on helpers addressing our strong reactions and how to use them to strengthen the work with clients. We will address traumatic stress and post traumatic growth and the parallel process that occurs through helping others in their most desperate times of need.