Reliability and Validity of the Vicarious Trauma Organizational Readiness Guide (VT-ORG)

The Vicarious Trauma Organizational Readiness Guide (VT-ORG) is an assessment of an organization's readiness to address vicarious trauma (VT), which is exposure to the traumatic experiences of people served. This study reports on the psychometric properties of the VT-ORG. Employees of first responder agencies (e.g., law enforcement, fire, emergency services) and victim assistance agencies are at a high risk for vicarious traumatization, which can lead to PTSD, substance use, and suicidal ideation, among other negative impacts. Organizations that do not address VT may see such effects as employee turnover, reduced efficiency, and negative work environments. The VT-ORG is an assessment tool designed to help organizations complete the first step of organizational change-conducting a needs assessment. Study participants were 3,018 employees across 13 first responder and victim assistance agencies who completed the 67-item VT-ORG and additional measures for evaluation of its validity and reliability. The VT-ORG was found to have excellent internal consistency (Cronbach's α = .98). A structural equation model demonstrated that the subscales of the VT-ORG predicted criterion measures of turnover intention, compassion satisfaction, and organizational resilience, with an overall model fit of CFI = .99, RMSEA = .053. This study found the VT-ORG to be a reliable and valid assessment of organizational responses to vicarious trauma.