Recovery Consulting: A lifeline for aid workers and organizations
Proper Support is dedicated to offering comprehensive recovery services for injured and traumatized aid workers.
We specialize in assembling expert teams, including psychotherapists, lawyers, and doctors, to ensure that no aid worker faces their complex recovery journey alone.
Our mission extends to collaborating with aid organizations to enhance their Duty of Care practices and helping them be accountable for any breaches in their responsibilities.
Complex injury that is straight out of a novel?
Let’s walk a bit and see what we can figure out.
The Story Behind Proper Support
Founded by veteran humanitarian aid worker Steve Dennis, Proper Support is the result of both Steve’s harrowing experience in 2012, when he was attacked, shot and kidnapped, and being neglected by his aid organization to assist his recovery. His gruelling recovery and subsequent legal battle against his former employer for negligent support exposed a critical gap: aid workers lack adequate systems for navigating complex trauma recovery. Driven by his own journey, and a passion to help others, Steve pivoted his career to address this need. Recognizing that existing efforts fell short and with many years of experience as a recovery coach, Steve established Proper Support to champion a more tenacious approach to recovery. Our mission: empower aid workers to reclaim their lives after injury with the robust, specialized support they deserve.
For complex recovery challenges, Proper Support is needed.
Services
A traumatic injury can upend personal and professional lives in unexpected ways, and critical incidents can disrupt organizations and strain teams. Injured individuals worry about their future life and work prospects, while leaders fear legal liabilities for sympathizing with staff. This is a complex situation for everyone.
Navigating recovery involves crucial decisions; making mistakes can end careers, hinder healing, and lower team morale. Proper recovery supports quicker rehabilitation, keeps organizations effective and motivates improvement.
Both injured individuals and organizations can take achievable steps to improve outcomes after critical incidents. Let Proper Support guide you on this journey of recovery and growth.
Individual Case Work
Are you or your staff struggling with a complex injury? Proper Support is here to help navigate the recovery process.
• Clarify your recovery goals: We work with you to define what successful recovery looks like.
• Assemble a team of experts: We bring together the right professionals—therapists, doctors, and other experts—to support your journey.
• Manage the entire recovery process: We handle the coordination and implementation, so you can focus on healing.
Organizational policy, practice and strategy
Looking to strengthen your organization’s support systems for staff after a complex injury? Proper Support is here to help.
• Custom-tailored solutions: We work with your support teams to create specific strategies that address your organization’s unique needs.
• Integrating best practices: We help you incorporate proven methods into your policies to ensure comprehensive care for your team.
Training, workshops and presentations
Empower your team with the knowledge and skills to support injured aid workers effectively. Proper Support offers a range of educational opportunities, including presentations, webinars, workshops, and training sessions.
• Gap analysis: We assess the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to identify areas for improvement.
• Tailored learning solutions: We match the right training modality—whether it’s a presentation, workshop, webinar, or in-depth training—to meet your specific needs.
• Impactful education: Our sessions are designed to leave a lasting impact, equipping your team with tools to support better and quicker recovery.
Advocacy
Proper Support is actively advancing the conversation around better Duty of Care implementation in the aid industry. Through keynote speeches, podcasts, and webinars, he sheds light on the gaps in organizational responsibility and pushes for systemic changes.
Advocacy activities extend into case law, focusing on how Duty of Care should be interpreted in the humanitarian sector, encouraging more robust policies that protect aid workers and support them post-incident.
“Steve’s guidance was invaluable through a challenging recovery. His understanding of duty of care and PTSD, strategic focus, and use of external resources were instrumental. I am immensely grateful and highly recommend his expertise.”
Testimonials
“Deciding to work with Steve was the best choice I could have made in navigating my own trauma recovery — I only wish that I had contacted him sooner. I was able to benefit from options and resources I wouldn’t have been able to find on my own.”
“Working with Steve, a trauma recovery coach, was the best decision for my recovery. His approach, blending clarity and compassion, enabled me to navigate my trauma with manageable goals and newfound resources. I’m immensely grateful for access to pro-bono support, which made vital services accessible without the guarantee of payment.”
“An invaluable resource for humanitarian aid workers and the organizations that often struggle to find appropriate ways to support them.”
“Steve’s tenacity and understanding were life-changing. His ability to coordinate across continents and provide targeted support brought my case to a fitting resolution. Working with Steve, I regained control of my life.”
Proper Support Trust
Proper Support Trust represents our vision to provide top-quality support to aid workers recovering from complex injuries, regardless of their financial means. Established as the not-for-profit arm of Proper Support, the Trust fundraises to offer comprehensive pro-bono support to aid workers facing recovery from complex injuries and to advocate for enhanced Duty of Care practices across the humanitarian sector.
Proper Support Trust is overseen by a dedicated Board of Trustees, ensuring adherence to not-for-profit regulations and maintaining high standards of transparency and accountability.
Through active fundraising efforts, Proper Support Trust seeks to attain needed resources to independently fulfill it’s mission. Our structure as a “trust” offers donors assurance that their contributions are managed responsibly and effectively.
Join us in making a meaningful difference in the lives of aid workers, ensuring they receive the support they need and deserve.
Copyright 2024 - Proper Support Trust
Canadian not-for-profit registration #: 1627037-9
Join us
At Proper Support, we believe comprehensive support comes from a community of dedicated professionals and understanding donors. The two key ways you can join our mission is by volunteering your expertise in the Expert Network or by making a financial contribution to the Proper Support Trust not-for-profit.
Join our Expert Network
We are actively searching for various professionals to join our network and be part of our standby roster. Your expertise could be invaluable in providing occasional insights, guidance, or roles in our support or training teams.
Join Our Donor Network
Donations to Proper Support Trust help us continue to provide critical support to aid workers who don’t have the financial means to pay for it otherwise.
Whether through a one-time contribution or ongoing monthly support, your contributions can makes a significant impact to the recovery of aid workers.
