This document discusses burnout, vicarious traumatization, and compassion fatigue among human services workers. It notes that those in helping professions are prone to burnout due to the demanding nature of the work, high ideals and motivation, and often low success rates. Burnout is defined as a state of physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion where one loses confidence in their work. The document outlines various factors that contribute to burnout, including role ambiguity and overload, isolation, and lack of autonomy or appreciation. It also discusses the impacts of worker-client relationships and secondary traumatic stress. Suggested interventions are provided at the individual, organizational, and societal levels.

1. HUMAN SERVICES WORKERS
IN CRISIS:
BURNOUT, VICARIOUS TRAUMATIZATION, AND COMPASSION FATIGUE
Chapter Sixteen

2. 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 .

3. 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

4. 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

5. DYNAMICS OF BURNOUT
 Levels of Burnout
 Trait
 State
 Activity
 Stages of Burnout
 Enthusiasm
 Stagnation
 Frustration
 Apathy

6. WORKER–CLIENT RELATIONSHIPS
 Countertransference
 Secondary Traumatic Stress
 Vicarious Traumatization
 Compassion Fatigue
 Compassion Satisfaction

7. 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.

8. 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.

9. 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

10. PRIVATE PRACTITIONERS AND BURNOUT
 Isolation
 Business Concerns
 Financial
 Client base
 Marketing services
 Maintaining a Public Presence
 Difficult Work Schedule
 Evenings
 Weekends
 Few vacations

11. INTERVENTION WITH THE INDIVIDUAL
 Direct Action
 Palliative Action
 BASIC IDS
 Behavior
 Affect
 Sensation
 Imagery
 Cognition
 Interpersonal relationships
 Drugs/biology
 Setting

12. EPILOGUE:
CROSS-CULTURAL COMPARISONS
 Victor
Savicki (2002) landmark study using
the Maslach Burnout Inventory subscales
 General environmental work measures
 Individual conformity measures