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
