Public safety telecommunicators are required to interact with the public and expected to provide "service with a smile" (even over the phone) as a requirement of the job, referred to as emotional labor. This includes either faking or changing your inner feelings to match the situation. This session helps participants identify when they are using emotional labor and learn ways to combat the negative consequences.

Public safety telecommunicators (PSTs), referred to as 9-1-1 operators and dispatchers, are often the first contact for citizens in potentially life-threatening crises, and due to work-related stress, PSTs frequently experience an array of emotional, psychological and behavioral disturbances. Research suggests that PSTs with a positive psychological state are less impacted by stressors, therefore, using a phenomenological approach, this study explores how Psychological Capital (PsyCap) is manifested in the work lives of  PSTs. Psychological Capital (PsyCap) is a higher order concept that incorporates positive psychological state-like resources that have been found to produce positive outcomes in the workplace. Although PsyCap is has been investigated in a variety of occupations and organizations, it has not fully been examined in the population of PSTs as it pertains to coping strategies. 

(TBD)

“Developing The HERO Within” is a workshop meant to introduce participants to the concept of Psychological Capital (PsyCap), which is characterized by the development of four positive psychological resources: hope, efficacy, resilience, and optimism. Participants will receive evidence-based practices to foster their sense of PsyCap following a thorough introduction of research and theory supporting the importance of building positive emotions in the workplace, especially in high-stress occupations. In this session participants will will gain self-insight by taking an assessment to measure their hope, efficacy, resilience and optimism and increase their understanding of PsyCap through a discussion on current research being conducted by the speaker. 

Regulating emotions is part of every day life, but as public safety telecommunicators it is a requirement of the job. This type of emotional regulation is referred to as emotional labor. There are two types of strategies typically used: surface acting, which involves faking your feelings, and deep acting, which is when you change your inner feelings to match your exterior ones. Both strategies can have positive and negative outcomes to an employee's well-being. Through role-playing scenarios this session will recommend techniques to mitigate the impact of emotional labor in the dispatch center.

Regulating emotions is part of every day life, but as public safety telecommunicators it is a requirement of the job, referred to as emotional labor. There are two strategies used - surface acting (faking your feelings) and deep acting (changing your inner feelings). Both can have positive and negative outcomes to an employee's well-being. Through role-playing scenarios this session will recommend techniques to mitigate the impact of emotional labor in the dispatch center. 

1. Participants will learn the definition of emotional labor, which is the regulation of emotions in the workplace that require the employee to display acceptable emotions established by their organization. 

2. Participants will learn the definitions of surface acting and deep acting and how they are displayed through our voice and choice of words.

3. Participants will learn several techniques to utilize surface acting and deep acting, and understand that a balance of both is the best strategy for lowering the impact of emotional labor

Psychological Capital (PsyCap) is characterized by the development of four positive psychological resources (hope, efficacy, resilience and optimism) that can help create a highly motivated and capable workforce. In this session participants will increase their understanding of PsyCap through a discussion on current research being conducted by the speaker. In addition, participants will be provided a workbook. 

1. Participants will learn the concept of Psychological Capital which is achieved through the development of hope, efficacy, resilience and optimism, and can lead to greater life satisfaction, job engagement, better performance and improved wellbeing and health. 

2. Participants will be provided a workbook with an excercise to be completed on their own after the session that will help solidify the information provided in this session on the developement of Psycholgical Capital.

3. Participants will learn how Psychological Capital is manifested in the lives of public safety telecommunicators and be provided examples from a current research study being conducted by the speaker.