Moral Injury Fundamentals for the Helping Professionals Development Training

Dr. Daniel Roberts, along with Dr. Kirby Wycoff, traveled to Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Petawawa in Ontario, Canada on March 23-24, 2023. They provided development training to over 50 chaplains, psychologists, social workers, and clinicians. The training equipped them with the knowledge to recognize the possibility of moral injury in patients and discuss interventions and resources. Moral injury occurs when a traumatic event or situation shakes a person to their core and profoundly violates their sense of right and wrong. The originators of the term “moral injury” coined it to explain the impact of killing in combat or other violations of military rules of engagement. In recent years, it has been extended to include the results of military sexual trauma in female veterans, as well as to first responders and healthcare workers.

The specific training topics included Positionality, Diversity, and Inclusion; Moral Injury Definitions and Concepts; Potential Sources and Effects of Moral Injury; Instruments and Spiritually Based Restoration Programs; Immediate Spiritual Aid to the Morally Injured; Trauma Care for the Morally Injured; Professional Self-Care; Sanctuary Trauma; and Moral Injury in Military Families.

Dr. Roberts, the founder of Moral Injury Support Network for Servicewomen (MISNS), leads the Tubman Chaplain Network component. MISNS offers free confidential counseling to female veterans and spouses of veterans. For information, please contact Dr. Daniel Roberts at droberts@chaplainconsultants.com or call him at 910-690-5964.