Crisis intervention strategies chapter 16

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  “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  roots from the 1970s 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 Symptoms of Burnout  Behavioral   Physical  Interpersonal  Attitudinal Dynamics of Burnout Cont  Stages of Burnout Enthusiasm Stagnation Frustration Apathy 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 Typical has a blind spot 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 Difficult  a Public Presence Work Schedule Evenings  Weekends  Few vacations INTERVENTION WITH THE INDIVIDUAL  Direct Action  Palliative (quick fix) Action  BASIC IDS Behavior  Affect  Sensation  Imagery  Cognition  Interpersonal relationships  Drugs/biology  Setting  ... change the situation Intervention Strategies Assessment  Burnout  Compassion Fatigue and Compassion Satisfaction  Work Environment Intervention Through Training Intervention With the Organization... services Maintaining Difficult  a Public Presence Work Schedule Evenings  Weekends  Few vacations INTERVENTION WITH THE INDIVIDUAL  Direct Action  Palliative (quick fix) Action  BASIC IDS Behavior