Abstract
The purpose of this dissertation was to examine potential relationships between the trauma- related stress and coping strategies (adaptive or maladaptive) of mental health providers to the homeless. A secondary purpose was to explore the potential relationship between coping strategies and compassion satisfaction. The sample was comprised of 157 mental health providers (106 women, 49 men, 2 transgender) who provide services for homeless members of Los Angeles County. Participants completed a web-based survey that consisted of a demographic questionnaire, a measure of trauma-related stress, a measure of overall sense of professional contentment, and a measure of individual coping strategies. Findings suggested that individual coping strategies, in conjunction with individual factors such as self-care practices and personal history of trauma, have the capacity to significantly impact provider experiences of compassion fatigue, burnout, and compassion satisfaction.