The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of vicarious trauma on K-3 educators' mental health, job satisfaction, and career projection. Additionally, this study looked at the need for specific professional development opportunities and strategies to help educators navigate the effects of vicarious trauma. To accomplish the objectives outlined in the purpose statement, the following research questions drove this study: Research Question 1: How does working with at-risk children affect elementary educators' mental health? Research Question 2: How has vicarious trauma impacted educators' career satisfaction? Research Question 3: What professional development is needed for educators to navigate the impact of vicarious trauma? This study used a mixed methods approach to collect data supporting the research questions. For this study, the researcher invited 23 K-3 educators from a Southern New Jersey public elementary school to participate in an online survey and nine educators to participate in semi-structured one-on-one interviews. Twenty-three participants completed the online survey that included Hudnall Stamm's (2009) Professional Quality of Life Scale (ProQOL 5) and closed-ended questions within a demographic survey. Of those 23 participants, the researcher strategically invited nine educators to participate in the one-on-one semi-structured interviews. This study's findings indicated that educators are negatively affected socially, emotionally, and mentally by the effects of vicarious trauma. Educators reported feeling burnout, mental and emotional exhaustion, fatigue, and decreased job satisfaction based on the amount of trauma that educators feel from their students. Most participants reported a strong need for more professional development to help them navigate the effects of vicarious trauma within their personal and professional lives. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]