Crisis intervention strategies chapter 16

Chapter Sixteen: Human Services Workers in Crisis: Burnout, Vicarious Traumatization, and Compassion Fatigue... Recipe for burnout:  High levels of motivation  Idealistic  Expectat

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

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 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 (quick fix) Action

BASIC IDS

Behavior

Affect

Sensation

Imagery

Cognition

Interpersonal relationships

Drugs/biology

Setting