Human Services Workers in Crisis: Burnout, Vicarious Traumatization, and Compassion Fatigue

CHAPTER SIXTEEN: HUMAN SERVICES WORKERS IN CRISIS: BURNOUT, VICARIOUS TRAUMATIZATION, AND COMPASSION FATIGUE

HELPING PROFESSIONALS: PRIME CANDIDATES

 Nature of the job is to be intensely involved with people who are in need of assistance.

 Recipe for burnout: High levels of motivation  Idealistic Expectation that their work will give their life a sense

of meaning

 Many helping professions have historically low success rates.

 Human service field is becoming more difficult .

DEFINING BURNOUT  Historical roots from the 1970s

 “Burned out” physically, emotionally, spiritually, interpersonally, and behaviorally to the point of exhaustion.

 Herbert Freudenberger (1974, 1975)  Described young, idealistic volunteers working in

alternative health-care settings who started to look and act worse than many of their clients.

 Burnout consists of the following:  Lost energy to the point of exhaustion  Lost enthusiasm to the point of absolute indifference  Passion is replaced by cynicism  Complete lack of confidence that your work is having

any positive impact

DYNAMICS OF BURNOUT  Foundation Blocks of Burnout

 Role ambiguity  Role conflict  Role overload  Inconsequentiality  Isolation  Autonomy

 Research on Burnout Dynamics

 Myths That Engender Burnout

 Symptoms of Burnout  Behavioral  Physical  Interpersonal  Attitudinal

DYNAMICS OF BURNOUT CONT.

 Levels of Burnout Trait State Activity

 Stages of Burnout Enthusiasm Stagnation Frustration Apathy

WORKER–CLIENT RELATIONSHIPS

Countertransference

Secondary Traumatic Stress Vicarious Traumatization Compassion Fatigue

Compassion Satisfaction

THE CULPABILITY OF ORGANIZATIONS

 Much of the responsibility lies with the employer. Employee’s influence on policy and procedures Employee’s level of autonomy Employee’s feeling of appreciation

 Employers should provide consultation and supervision.

 Employers should offer support, social connection, and self-care opportunities.

SELF-RECOGNITION OF BURNOUT

NO ONE IS IMMUNE!

Everyone has a blind spot.

 Typical MO is to increase effort (actually increases the problem) rather than attempting to change the situation.

INTERVENTION STRATEGIES  Assessment

Burnout Compassion Fatigue and Compassion Satisfaction Work Environment

 Intervention Through Training

 Intervention With the Organization Burnout-Proofing an Agency Social Support Systems Support Groups The Individual and the Organization

 Self-Care

PRIVATE PRACTITIONERS AND BURNOUT

 Isolation

 Business Concerns  Financial  Client base  Marketing services

 Maintaining a Public Presence

 Difficult Work Schedule  Evenings  Weekends  Few vacations

INTERVENTION WITH THE INDIVIDUAL

 Direct Action  Palliative Action  BASIC IDS

Behavior Affect Sensation  Imagery Cognition  Interpersonal relationships Drugs/biology Setting

EPILOGUE: CROSS-CULTURAL COMPARISONS

Victor Savicki (2002) landmark study using the Maslach Burnout Inventory subscales

General environmental work measures

 Individual conformity measures