Mindfulness Stress Reduction Training Workshop for Social Workers and Helping Professionals Experiencing Workplace Burnout

ABSTRACT
A MINDFULNESS BASED STRESS REDUCTION TRAINING WORKSHOP FOR
SOCIAL WORKERS AND HELPING PROFESSIONALS EXPERIENCING
WORKPLACE BURNOUT: A GRANT PROPOSAL
By
Evelyn Charlotte Howe
May 2015
The significance of human services worker burnout is critical as it can lead to
emotional exhaustion and adversely affect the quality, consistency, and efficacy of direct
care and interventions for clients in need of social services. The use of mindfulness-
based stress reduction (MBSR) training has been shown to be an evidence-based
intervention that can help workers learn stress reduction skills and promote self-care.
The purpose of this project was to develop a grant proposal for Jewish Family and
Children’s Service Center in Long Beach for a training workshop addressing stress and
self-care skills to prevent burnout. The proposed workshop will provide education on
symptoms of burnout and mindfulness-related strategies to help promote coping with
their job-related stressors. The funding source selected for this workshop was The
Weingart Foundation as this program coincided with their funding priorities. The actual
submission or funding for this grant was not a requirement for the successful completion
of this workshop or grant proposal.

A MINDFULNESS BASED STRESS REDUCTION TRAINING WORKSHOP FOR
SOCIAL WORKERS AND HELPING PROFESSIONALS EXPERIENCING
WORKPLACE BURNOUT: A GRANT PROPOSAL
A THESIS
Presented to the School of Social Work
California State University, Long Beach
In Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements for the Degree
Master of Social Work
Committee Members:
Steve Wilson, Ph.D. (Chair)
Mimi Kim, Ph.D.
Julie O’Donnell, Ph.D.
College Designee:
Nancy Meyer-Adams, PhD
By Evelyn Charlotte Howe
B.A., 2013, California State University, Long Beach
May 2015

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
LIST OF TABLES....................................................................................................... v
CHAPTER
1. INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................ 1
Statement of Problem................................................................................. 1
Statement of Purpose ................................................................................. 4
Definition of Terms.................................................................................... 5
Social Work Relevance.............................................................................. 6
2. LITERATURE REVIEW ................................................................................. 9
Perspectives of Burnout ............................................................................. 9
Symptoms of Burnout................................................................................ 12
Consequences of Burnout .......................................................................... 13
Burnout and Physical Health ..................................................................... 14
Burnout and Service Delivery.................................................................... 16
Secondary Traumatic Stress....................................................................... 18
Compassion Fatigue................................................................................... 20
Interventions .............................................................................................. 22
Mindfulness................................................................................................ 23
Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Training.......................................... 25
Conclusion ................................................................................................. 27
3. METHODS ....................................................................................................... 30
Identification of Potential Funding............................................................ 30
The Weingart Foundation .......................................................................... 31
The Jewish Community Foundation.......................................................... 31
National Institute of Mental Health ........................................................... 32
Criteria for Selection of Funder................................................................. 32
Needs Assessment...................................................................................... 33
iii

CHAPTER Page
4. GRANT REQUEST.......................................................................................... 35
Mission Statement and Goals of Agency................................................... 35
Identification of Need ................................................................................ 36
Effectiveness Studies and Therapeutic Stress Reduction .......................... 37
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Addressing Burnout....................... 38
Project Description..................................................................................... 39
Evaluation of Workshop ............................................................................ 42
Budget Narrative........................................................................................ 42
5. LESSONS LEARNED...................................................................................... 45
Review of the Study of Burnout ................................................................ 45
Grant Writing Process................................................................................ 46
Review of the Proposed Project................................................................. 47
Relevance for Social Work Practice .......................................................... 47
Professional Development ......................................................................... 48
Lessons Learned......................................................................................... 49
REFERENCES ............................................................................................................ 50
iv

LIST OF TABLES
TABLE Page
1. Itemized Budget for Mindulness-Based Stress Reduction Training................ 44
v

CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
Statement of Problem
The social services profession is often challenging and stressful for many social
workers and helping professionals (Adams, Boscarino & Figley, 2006). According to
Maslach and Jackson (1983) the nature of working in environments that can be
emotionally demanding leaving helping professionals to cope in the workplace with job
related anxiety such as emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and a sense of
diminished personal job accomplishment in the workplace. Professionals who work with
other people often experience excessive stress that can lead to job burnout (Adams et al.,
2006). The significance of burnout is critical as it can be experienced across a broad
range of social services and helping professions and adversely affects the quality and
consistency of client services (Kim & Lee, 2009).
Helping professionals engage in direct services in differing social service areas
such as mental healthcare, case management, child welfare, crime victim support, crisis
management, grief and bereavement support, addiction counseling, employee assistance
programs, domestic violence, sexual assault crisis, homeless services, and hospice care
(Bride, 2007).. One on one direct service with clients is frequently emotionally charged
with feelings of depression, fear, anxiety, grief, and trauma. Social service providers and
helping professionals face significant challenges in the workplace such as role stress, a
1

lack of job autonomy, high caseloads, and increased job demands that can contribute to
burnout (Acker, 2008).
According to Maslach and Jackson (1981), burnout is defined as an increased
feeling of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, cynicism, and a perceived lack of
professional achievement. This causes social workers to become increasingly ineffective
and inefficient in providing appropriate services to meet the needs of the client. Ray,
Won, White and Heaslip (2013), further describe burnout as the psychological and
physiological response to prolonged exposure to interpersonal stressors in the workplace.
Job stressors also contribute to the development of increased levels of burnout such as
secondary traumatic stress and compassion fatigue as well (Bride, 2007; Sprang, Clark, &
Whitt-Woosley, 2007).
In a quantitative study, conducted by Bride (2007), social workers engaged in
direct practice with traumatized populations can also develop secondary traumatic stress.
Compassion fatigue consists of negative cynical attitudes and the loss of care for the
client (Maslach & Jackson, 1981). For example, due to worker fatigue, and the absence
of social and supervisory support, helping professionals can also develop resentment and
disdain toward their clients. This can then result in a helping professional beginning to
evaluate their own professionalism negatively thus becoming dissatisfied with not only
themselves but their professional accomplishments in the work place (Maslach &
Jackson, 1981).
According to quantitative research conducted by Berzoff and Kita (2010), the
cognitive, emotional, and behavioral effects of burnout can include lowered
concentration, depersonalization toward clients and colleagues, feelings of depression
2

and irritability, apathy, fatigue, sleep disturbances, and increased health aliments. In a
quantitative research study on workplace stress and burnout also conducted by Acker
(2008), it was found that 56% of the 460 mental health service providers surveyed
expressed feelings of emotional exhaustion associated with stressful work. It was also
reported that 45% of participants in Acker’s study experienced low levels of success and
job satisfaction in fulfilling the needs of their clients as well.
A quantitative study conducted by Sprang et al. (2007), found that burnout was
highly prevalent among the 1,121 mental health providers studied, especially among
social workers in the field of child and mental health services. The research literature
suggests that helping professionals that work in daily contact with the critical needs of
their clients have a high incidence of job burnout due to chronic labor stress. Stress
impairs job performance and the ability to work effectively and efficiently with clients
and colleagues alike (Jenaro, Flores, & Arias, 2007).
The prevalence of social service worker burnout has raised awareness for the need
for increased evidence-based interventions and practices in order to counter and diminish
the effects and impact of burnout (Kanter, 2007). The development of innovative
programs that teach self-care skills to social workers and helping professionals can
contribute to preventative care. Innovative self-care workshops and health development
programs can assist helping professionals at risk for emotional and psychological
problems relative to work stressors that lead to burnout as well (Shapiro, Brown, &
Biegel, 2007). Maslach and Jackson (1981) stress that the potential for burnout is high
for helping professionals who provide continuous direct service and care for clients.
3

A growing body of research suggests that the practice of mindfulness contributes
to the enhancement of psychological and physical well-being (Shapiro et al., 2007).
According to Kabat-Zinn (2003), mindfulness is the practice of awareness of thoughts
and feelings which are recognized in the immediate moment as well as the development
of a nonjudgmental perspective of one’s own reactions and responses to life stressors and
experiences. Meditation is one of the many forms of mindfulness practice. Mindfulness
has been utilized therapeutically for a broad range of disorders such as anxiety,
depression, stress, and anger management (Roth & Robbins, 2004).
Statement of Purpose
Given the negative impact of burnout in the work place, including work related
burnout such as secondary traumatic stress and compassion fatigue that stem from long
term stressors in the fields of human services, there is a clear need for programs to help
mitigate these effects. The purpose of this project is to develop a grant proposal to obtain
funding for a 1 day workshop addressing the effects of stress and burnout on social
workers and other helping professionals in the city of Long Beach. This will be
accomplished by utilizing a mindfulness based stress reduction (MBSR) training
approach to provide education, coping skills, and peer to peer support to decrease and
prevent worker burnout in the many human service professions. The proposed workshop
will be held in the Long Beach community and will educate social workers and other
helping professionals by providing stress management techniques to address workplace
stressors that can lead to burnout. The workshop will also engage in the application of
mindfulness-based techniques such as simple meditation, guided visualization, gentle
stretching, and body scanning and other easily performed techniques in order to promote
4

the lowering of stress and improve mental and physical well-being. This project will be
implemented through the Jewish Family and Children’s Service Center.
Definition of Terms
Burnout
Burnout, as defined by Ray et al. (2013), is a psychological and physiological
response to prolonged exposure to interpersonal stressors in the workplace. Burnout,
according to Maslach and Brown (1981), is a syndrome of emotional exhaustion,
depersonalization, and a perceived sense of negative personal accomplishment due to the
depletion of emotional and physical resources. The helping professionals who work in
human services can be subject to chronic workplace stress that can increase worker
burnout and job dissatisfaction.
Secondary Traumatic Stress
Secondary Traumatic Stress is defined as the continued and close interaction with
trauma survivors. Throughout an extensive period of time of providing direct service
interventions to clients who have suffered trauma can negatively impact and impair the
mental and the emotional well-being of the helping professional through their subjective
interaction with their clients (Kanter, 2007)
Compassion Fatigue
Compassion Fatigue is understood to be a culmination of burnout and secondary
traumatic stress all of which have similar symptoms (Showalter, 2010). Compassion
fatigue is defined as an overwhelming state of tension and preoccupation with the
traumatized client by re-experiencing the traumatic event associated with the client. The
symptoms have more immediate onset of symptoms.
5

Mindfulness
Mindfulness is defined as nonjudgmental attention to one’s present thoughts,
emotions, and physiological occurrences in the immediate moment (Hozel et al., 2011).
According to Kabat-Zinn (2003), mindfulness is the attention and conscious awareness
that can be cultivated by intentionally remaining in the present moment while
acknowledging personal experiences, emotions, and feelings without negative
interpretations or judgment. Meditation, breathing exercises, focused relaxation, and
body scanning as well as creative visualization are examples of mindfulness based stress
reduction techniques.
Social Work Relevance
In research conducted by Acker (2008), it was found that there were cultural and
gender variations in burnout that impact helping professionals. It was found that non-
White human service providers were less subject to the experience of burnout due to
lower levels of emotional and mental exhaustion than White human service and health
care providers (Acker, 2008). Non-White helping professionals were shown to have an
increased realistic expectation of life due to the service providers challenging personal
life experiences. It has also been found that female service providers have increased
physical health ailments due to high stress and job demands than male social workers
(Kim, Ji, & Kao 2011). Another quantitative study conducted by Acker (2012), with a
sample of 460 mental health providers, over 50% of the study participants reported their
consideration of an intent to quit their jobs due the overwhelming stress, job demands,
and emotional exhaustion related to their work as mental health service providers.
6

Social workers and helping professionals should be educated about the
significance of self-care to ensure their capacity to provide quality and effective services
for their clients. An emphasis on self-care is important in maintaining a sense of personal
and professional balance (Jenaro et al., 2007). Sharma and Rush (2014), state that
mindfulness based stress reduction training has gained increasing attention in addressing
stress management and coping skills for social workers and helping professionals.
MBSR training can contribute to the alleviation of the symptoms of burnout,
decrease the negative consequences of burnout, and promote the prevention of burnout
(Jenaro et al., 2007). In turn, this increases mental health and physical well-being,
improves quality and consistent service for clients, and promotes a sense of personal
achievement in the workplace. The intervention utilizing mindfulness based stress
reduction training has been shown to provide an evidence-based and effective tool for the
purpose of combating the negative effects of burnout as well as promoting a decreased
sense of burnout (Sharma & Rush, 2014).
According to the United States Census Bureau (2014), Long Beach is considered
one of the most ethnically diverse cities in the United States. The predominant ethnicities
in the community of Long Beach are White, 40%, Hispanic, 29%, Black 14%, Asian
13%, and 4% constitute all other ethnicities (City of Long Beach Government, 2014).
Social workers and helping professionals provide direct services to all ethnicities and
communities and address critical issues to meet the varying and often critical needs of the
client. In the Long Beach area, The Village Mental Health Agency, The Department of
Social Services, The Department of Children and Family Services, the Long Beach
7

Multi-Service Center, the Department of Health and Social service, and The Long Beach
Veteran’s Healthcare service are significant social service agencies
The host agency, Jewish Family and Children’s Services for which this grant
proposal is being written, offers several different social service programs for all members
of the community regardless of race, ethnicity, religious affiliation, or sexual orientation.
The agency provides counseling and services for older adults, domestic violence
prevention, and emergency assistance to individuals in Long Beach. (C. Goldman,
personal communication, August, 2014).
8

CHAPTER 2
LITERATURE REVIEW
Perspectives of Burnout
Throughout the past three decades, there has been increasing research on the
causes and consequences of burnout and the impact it has on both the professional and
personal lives of social workers and other helping professionals (Wilmar, Schaufeli,
Leiter, & Maslach, 2009). In a quantitative study of 255 social workers conducted by
Papsupuletti, Allen, Lambert, and Cluse-Tolar (2009), it was found that workers in the
helping professions who interact directly with clients on a daily basis face significantly
higher levels of stress and anxiety. Helping professionals engage in direct service and
client centered interactions that are frequently charged with feelings of depression,
trauma, fear, and anxiety. Intensifying these feelings is the need to also cope with
workplace challenges some of which include, but are not limited to; role stress, a lack of
job autonomy, compassion fatigue as well as emotional exhaustion (Acker, 2008).
In a study of 211 human service practitioners, employed in child protective
services and in-home caregivers, conducted by Jenaro et al. (2007) it was found that
organizational factors also lead to burnout such as demanding schedules, inconsistent
work shifts, and conflicting job roles as well as the challenging needs and often
distressful behaviors of their clients. The progression towards burnout can be further
influenced by the imbalance of workplace demands that increase emotional and physical
9

stressors. These stressors can include attempting to manage limited agency resources, a
lack of peer-to-peer support, limited job autonomy, role stress, and the depletion of
emotional and physical resources (Wilmar et al., 2009). Another important issue that
influences the onset of burnout within the workplace is the service provider’s subjective
response to a demanding and stressful work environment (Jenaro et al., 2007).
According to a quantitative study utilizing the survey data of 305 service
employees conducted by DeTienne, Agle, Phillips, and Ingerson (2012), it was found job
stressors such as a lack of supervisory support and increased caseloads can also exceed
the social workers and helping professional’s psychological and physical coping
capacities. This can result in compromising the social service provider’s well-being and
professional achievement further impacting the affects of burnout. It is important to
recognize that burnout has an impact on the social service provider as well as the
interaction and quality of service provided to the client (Acker, 2012).
Acker (2008) determined in a quantitative study of 460 mental health service
providers that additional factors contributing to burnout; are poor work place structure, a
lack of social support, role conflict, and poor job satisfaction. Rossi et al. (2012) state
that, in their study conducted with a staff of 260 Italian mental health workers,
psychiatrists and social workers suffered from the highest levels of burnout overall.
Burnout is considered a syndrome in that social workers and helping professionals
develop a sense of feeling overburdened, increased fatigue, and a lack of professional
motivation therefore experiencing increased mental and physical health disorders (Jenaro
et al., 2007).
10

The research literature, clearly, suggests that helping professionals who work in
daily contact with the critical needs of their clients have extremely high incidences of job
burnout due to chronic labor stressors (Acker, 2008). These stressors are seen to manifest
in client related challenges and workplace interactions that impair job performance and
the service provider’s ability to work effectively and efficaciously with both their clients
and colleagues alike (Jenaro, et al., 2007). Consequently, according to research, it is
suggested that prolonged periods of stress on the job can cause tension, worry, and
anxiety, all of which contribute to emotional exhaustion, physical ailments, and
psychological distress (Jenaro et al., 2009, Papsupuletti et al., 2009, Sprang et al., 2007).
Focusing on workplace stress, another quantitative research study regarding
burnout conducted by Acker (2008), further agrees with the existing data. It was found
that 56% of the 460 mental health service providers surveyed, expressed feelings of
emotional exhaustion associated with the stressful demands of direct service work. It has
also been reported that 45% of participants in Acker’s study experienced low levels of
job satisfaction in fulfilling the needs of their clients due to workplace stressors. In a
quantitative study by Sprang, et al., (2007), it was found that burnout was highly
prevalent among the 1,121 mental health providers, especially with those working within
the fields of child welfare and mental health services. The potential and risk for burnout
is highly prevalent among social workers and helping professionals who work with
clients in varying social service fields (Maslach & Jackson, 1981).
11

Symptoms of Burnout
Direct service work is a mentally and emotionally demanding profession. It also
subjects helping professionals to increased job related stressors such as anxiety, distress,
depression, and a broad range of physical ailments. This, in turn, can lead to increased
job burnout for social workers and other helping professionals in the fields of human
service (Adams et al., 2008). The most significant aspects of burnout, as described by
Maslach and Jackson (1981), are increased feelings of emotional exhaustion, cynicism,
and a perceived lack of professional achievement. According to research by Berzoff and
Kita (2010), the cognitive, emotional, and behavioral symptoms of burnout include;
lowered concentration, depersonalization toward clients and colleagues as well as
feelings of depression and irritability, apathy, fatigue, and sleep disturbances.
Ray et al. (2013) further describe burnout as the psychological and physiological
response to prolonged exposure to interpersonal stressors within the workplace. For
example, due to worker fatigue and the absence of emotional, social or supervisory
support, helping professionals often internalize resentment and develop detachment
toward the clients as well as their colleagues. According to Maslach and Jackson (1981),
social workers and helping professionals begin to feel over extended due to the depletion
of the individual’s emotional and physical resources. Likewise, depersonalization or
cynicism is defined as experiencing negative or pessimistic feelings and attitudes that
manifest as detached responses toward clients or colleagues. Lastly, a decreased sense of
personal achievement is experienced as a feeling of dissatisfaction with the social service
workers profession due to a sense of incompetence or ineffective outcomes with client
goals and outcomes (Maslach & Jackson, 1981).
12

Consequences of Burnout
According to Gerber et al. (2013), about 4-8% of the working population report
experiencing symptoms of burnout. In a quantitative study conducted by Acker (2012),
examining burnout among mental health care providers, it was determined over half of
the participants (56%) testified that they experienced moderate to high levels of
emotional exhaustion. Furthermore, a majority of the participants (73%) reported
moderate to high levels of role stress, and exactly half of the participants (50%) reported
that they considered quitting their jobs due to their overall feelings of burnout and fatigue
when interacting with both their coworkers and their clients (Acker, 2012).
A quantitative study by Kim and Lee (2009) emphasized the need for recognizing
that both client direct intervention practice and social service work place stress, overall, is
related to job burnout. The workplace stressors and environmental factors of burnout
contribute to negative symptoms and consequences as well as the efficacy, consistency,
and the quality of effective client interventions and outcomes. Furthermore, social
worker burnout contributes to symptoms of depression that can lead to increased sick
leave absences and self-reported health problems, which also increase the workload and
stress for agency social workers with less job experience (Kim & Lee, 2009).
Another quantitative study of 211 social workers conducted by Kim and Lee
(2009), found that helping professionals who experienced burnout were also more likely
to have a higher turnover rate. As such, further consequences of burnout include;
misinterpretation in assessments, incorrect clinical determinations, and poor goal and
treatment planning. All of which culminate into the diminishment of the social service
workers capacity to develop effective client interaction, increased trust and rapport
13

building, implement appropriate interventions, treatment plans, and productive goal
outcomes (Adams et al., 2008).
According to Adams et al. (2008), when defining the consequences of burnout, it
was found that individuals providing services in the helping professions have
occupational as well as personal caregiving demands that increase adverse psychological
outcomes. Therefore, the risk for burnout, according to Bride (2007), is relatively high
for helping professionals who work with clients who are survivors of many different
types of crisis and critical life challenges. For example; social workers who provide
therapy and care for clients who have experienced sexual assault, military combat, natural
disasters, terrorist attacks, child abuse, domestic violence, and violent crime can
vicariously develop symptoms of burnout (Bride, 2007). Therefore, within the context of
social services, therapy, and interventions for the survivors of trauma can be particularly
stressful upon mental health providers as well as generalist social workers (Adams et al.,
2008).
Burnout and Physical Health
Physical illness can result from workplace and personal life related stressors.
Stressors whether they are subjective or external factors that remain unresolved are
contributing factors to burnout and emotional exhaustion (Mosby, 2008). Burnout has
been linked to common colds, flu-like symptoms, gastrointestinal disorders, muscular
tension, sleep disturbances, headaches, neck and back problems as well as chronic fatigue
(Acker, 2008). According to Kim et al. (2011), a quantitative study of 406 social workers
determined that social workers with higher levels of burnout report increased physical
14

illness and health problems such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, systemic
inflammation, musculoskeletal disorders, and strokes.
Three decades of research, regarding workplace burnout, has shown that job-
related stressors have adverse effects on social service workers such as hypertension and
decreased immune system response to negative environmental and physiological
elements (Wilmar et al, 2009). Social service providers and helping professionals
experience a state of physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion caused by long-term
involvement in emotionally demanding work environments and stressful client centered
interactions (Rossi et al., 2012; Schaufeli, Leiter, & Maslach, 2009). The factors that
contribute to burnout, according to Kim et al. (2011), can also encourage social service
providers to engage in high-risk behaviors such as smoking, alcohol and substance abuse
as well as a lack of appropriate nutrition due to an insufficient diet, a lack of exercise, and
poor sleeping habits.
The research pertaining to burnout also addresses the high incidence of various
conditions such as depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, potential suicide, and higher
mortality rates (Acker, 2012). This suggests that burnout from work related stress has a
significant impact on mental health and upon the physical well-being of social service
workers (Sprang et al., 2007). According to a quantitative study by Kim et al. (2011),
over the past decade, out of 750 social workers, it was found that 75% reported having
had trouble with burnout during their careers that caused differing levels of physical and
psychological distress impacting both their personal and professional lives.
In a meta-analysis study conducted by Melamed, Shirom, Toker, Berliner, and
Shapira (2008), it was found that the effects of chronic stress leading to burnout can be
15

linked to several physiological disorders. Healthcare that focuses on individuals
suffering from burnout may better identify health conditions relative to those who are
chronically exposed to workplace and life stressors. This can increase the development
of evidence-based interventions and best practices for social workers and helping
professionals who are no longer capable of utilizing appropriate and effective personal
and professional coping skills to manage overall stressors. Chronic burnout can lead to
the gradual erosion of overall physical health (Melamed et al., 2008).
Burnout and Service Delivery
According to Kim and Lee (2009), social work burnout is a critical issue that
affects the efficient administration of social service agencies and organizations. Burnout
has been shown to promote counterproductive effects on the overall efficacy of quality,
consistent, and effective agency social services. The impact of burnout also contributes
to poor client outcomes and overall consumer service dissatisfaction (Jenaro et al., 2007).
The effects of social worker and helping professional burnout also contributes to
increased job dissatisfaction, absences due to increased sick leave and heightened self-
reported health problems (Acker, 2010).
In a qualitative study conducted by Kim and Lee (2009), it was found that helping
professionals who experience burnout are more likely to have higher turnover rates and
absenteeism from the workplace. In another research study conducted by Acker (2008),
it was found that agencies are negatively impacted by staff resigning from their positions
due to higher levels of burnout. The noted issues that also contribute to factors that result
in job resignation due to burnout are ambiguous role stress, minimal job autonomy, and a
lack of supervisory and coworker support (Kim & Lee, 2009).
16

In light of the implications of burnout, and high turnover rates in social service
organizations, evidence-based interventions such as mindfulness based stress reduction
training has been shown to decrease workplace burnout and in turn improves job
retention (Kabat-Zinn, 2003). This contributes to maintaining job retention within the
broad spectrum of the helping professions as well as decreasing the intent to quit (Kim &
Stoner, 2008). In a quantitative study by Acker (2011), it was found that agencies which
promote personal and professional development programs can maintain a higher
employee retention rate as well as improved social services and a decrease in overall
administrative challenges.
In a quantitative study conducted by Kim and Lee (2009), it was found that 211
state registered social service workers working in health or mental health settings who
felt burned out and frustrated with their jobs are more likely to experience higher
turnover rates. Social worker turnover is a serious problem as it impacts the quality,
consistency as well as the stability of client services. High levels of worker turnover
within social service agencies is found to create psychological distress in remaining staff
members and increases job stressors among the new and inexperienced social service
workers who fill the vacated social service positions (Kim & Lee, 2009). Social worker
turnover is a significant financial challenge for agency administrations as it also
contributes to deficit profit margins for organizations (Sprang et al, 2007).
According to Acker (2010), many social service agencies have undergone
significant systemic organizational changes to implement cost effective and short-term
services. The movement toward cost effective and efficient treatment modalities has
increased workplace challenges such as increased caseloads, higher service regulation
17

standards, increased documentation, and decreased time spent with case management and
direct service with clients which, in turn, contributes to job burnout leading to many
agencies finding it difficult to maintain job retention with social workers and helping
professionals (Acker, 2010). According to DeTienne et al., (2012) increased job
stressors, greater fatigue, and lower job satisfaction due to burnout is a significant factor
in high job turnover rates in the social services.
Secondary Traumatic Stress
Secondary traumatic stress is defined as continued and close interaction with
trauma survivors for an extensive period of time that can negatively impact and impair
the mental health and emotional well-being of the helping professional through their
subjective interaction with their clients (Kanter, 2007). Helping professionals attempt to
work with a client’s behavioral adjustments and provide emotional support as well as
assisting clients in developing coping strategies following a traumatic life experience
(Adams et al., 2006). This ultimately increases the potential of the helping professional
in developing the symptoms of secondary traumatic stress which can, then, impede the
social service workers capacity to remain objective and determine appropriate client
interventions (Kanter, 2007).
In a quantitative study by Bride (2007) addressing secondary traumatic stress with
282 master’s level social workers, it was found that 97.8 percent of study respondents
indicated that their client population had experienced some form of personal trauma or
had been a witness to trauma. In turn, 88.9 percent of secondary trauma experienced by
social workers in direct service with clients has been shown to be relative to the clients’
personal traumatic issues (Bourassa, 2009). Research indicates that social workers who
18

specialize in direct practice with traumatized clients are highly likely to experience
symptoms of secondary traumatic stress or compassion fatigue (Bride, 2007).
Additionally, according to a quantitative study conducted by Kanter, (2007),
secondary traumatic stress manifests itself through the worker’s exposure to traumatic
events due to the internalization of the client’s detailed description of their personal
traumatic experience. Therefore, a significant implication of working with clients and
their traumatic experiences is the potential development of other aspects of burnout
known as secondary traumatic stress and compassion fatigue. Secondary traumatic stress
and compassion fatigue can contribute to the development of various mental health issues
for the social service provider and other helping professionals (Bride, 2007).
Therefore, it has been found that it is beneficial for the helping professional to
gain appropriate social, supervisory and emotional support to ensure both mental and
emotional health (Bourassa, 2009). This, in turn, aids the social service worker to sustain
their professional efficacy, which is beneficial both to themselves and their client,
develop effective interventions resulting in positive treatment outcomes, improves their
work environment experience, and co-worker interactions. Most importantly, the social
service provider or helping professional is able to engage with efficiency and provide
adequate services to their clients in need of immediate intervention (Sprang et al., 2007).
The symptoms of burnout can be seen as stressors that contribute to secondary
traumatic stress within the helping professions. This impacts both worker and client
relationship in implementing effective interventions and effective services. Burnout is
considered a contributing factor to secondary traumatic stress, but it is also viewed as an
occupational hazard of providing services to traumatized populations (Kanter, 2007).
19

Compassion Fatigue
Another degree of burnout is identified as compassion fatigue. According to
research compassion fatigue can be understood as a culmination of both burnout and
secondary traumatic stress both of which have similar mental and physical health
symptoms (Showalter, 2010). Compassion fatigue is defined as an overwhelming state of
tension, and the continuous preoccupation with the traumatized client via re-experiencing
the traumatic event associated with the client. The symptoms include feelings and acts of
avoidance, numbing of reminders, and a decreased sense of care or compassion for
clients (Ray et.al., 2013). Burnout and secondary traumatic stress have a gradual and
cumulative onset whereas compassion fatigue has a more immediate onset of symptoms
such as anxiety, depression, avoidance of reminders, and a sense of emotional numbing.
Compassion fatigue symptoms have also been found to develop and result from the
experience of a single traumatic event (Figley, 2012, Rossi et al., 2012).
Research indicates that there are specific risk factors that can cause social workers
or helping professionals to be increasingly susceptible to compassion fatigue. The
helping professional’s personal history of unresolved trauma, their personal extent of
exposure to trauma, and their inexperience in working with trauma victims also
contributes to the onset of compassion fatigue (Adams et al., 2006). The issues that
contribute to the development of compassion fatigue within the helping professional,
while working and coping with their clients’ traumatic experiences, can negatively affect
the overall quality and efficacy of care provided to the client (Bourassa, 2011).
Social service providers from a variety of different disciplines cope with
compassion fatigue in professions such as nursing, psychology, psychiatry, case
20

management, social work, and mental health work service providers. Those who work
for extensive periods of time with clients who have experienced trauma can develop
grief, anxiety, depression, sleep disturbances, relational problems, and physical
complaints (Ray et al., 2013). Therefore, compassion fatigue has the potential to erode
the professional’s ability to function at an optimal level in the work place. It also impacts
the professional’s capacity to be fully present while engaging in direct practice with a
client (Showalter, 2010).
The impact of working with trauma victims significantly affects the professional
caregiver’s physical, emotional, and mental health. The accumulated stress, losses,
difficult family dynamics, and the social service provider’s personal experiences of death
all have profound effects on the coping abilities of the service provider’s capacity to
implement efficacious services to their clients (Rossi et al., 2012). The symptoms
include fatigue, depression, avoidance and withdrawal from friends and family, and the
loss of interest in activities that were once enjoyable. Long working hours and high
caseloads of trauma clients have been associated with increased burnout among helping
professionals coping with compassion fatigue (Showalter, 2010).
Compassion fatigue can negatively affect the professional’s ability to provide
services, maintain professional relationships, and contributes to the loss of productivity.
It can also lead to high turnover rates (Showalter, 2010). Overall, compassion fatigue can
manifest in the physiological, psychological, spiritual factors of social workers and other
service providers (Bourassa, 2011).
21

Interventions
Clearly, the symptoms and consequences of burnout, secondary traumatic stress
and compassion fatigue have the potential to disrupt the careers of social workers and
helping professionals, as well as negatively impacting family relationships, according to
quantitative research conducted by Showalter (2010). It has been found that symptoms
experienced through prolonged exposure to distressful conditions such as the symptoms
of burnout are very responsive to various self-care treatments (Kabat-Zinn, 2003). Self-
care is often overlooked by social workers and helping professionals alike. The
acknowledgment of personal health care needs and the setting of defined boundaries
professionally and personally can assist in the restoration of balance and harmony in the
lives of professional service providers in all disciplines. MBSR training intervention is a
needed and a best practice for the benefit of social service providers (Showalter, 2010).
In a quantitative study of 460 mental health service providers conducted by Acker
(2011), it was found that helping professionals who engage in opportunities to pursue
personal development programs such as MBSR training were considerably better
equipped and able to cope with job-related stressors. These stressors include anxiety,
depression, and a sense of client and professional detachment as well as many other
physical health disorders relative to burnout. Consequently, the research pertaining to
MBSR reveals a positive increase in productivity in direct service interactions and
improved collaboration with colleagues and clients (Sharma & Rush, 2014).
Social service providers who are suffering from burnout, including other aspects
of burnout such as secondary traumatic stress or compassion fatigue often find
themselves depleted of mental and physical resources. As shown by the extensive
22

research on the topic, there is not a rapid and stress-free solution in learning and
developing needed self-care skills to prevent job burnout (Campbell & Christopher,
2012). In order for social service providers to overcome the loss of personal wellbeing
and professional efficacy, burnout requires intervention that promotes guidance in self-
care, which in turn, contributes to the restoration of personal and professional well-being
through MBSR training (Kabat-Zinn, 2003).
Through development of self-care techniques, and the identification of self-
healing tools and skills which will be provided in this workshop, social workers and
helping professionals can and do recover from burnout and compassion fatigue
(Showalter, 2010). Another issue that contributes to burnout is that helping professionals
are not aware of their own elevated levels of fatigue. They find that they are unable to
function in the most menial of tasks throughout their daily lives before identifying
personal and professional dysfunction (Showalter, 2010). Learning self-help skills
provided through mindfulness based stress reduction training is considered an effective
technique for promoting the development of self awareness and restoring a healthy
balance in the professional and personal life of the individual (Kabat-Zinn, 2003).
Mindfulness
According to Gethin (2011), the concept of mindfulness stems from the ancient
Buddhist tennet that depicts an active state of mind whereby the individual focuses on his
or her own thoughts upon the immediate moment. This includes attentiveness and
reflection of the individual’s internal feelings as well as their reaction to their
environmental stressors. The therapeutic practice of mindfulness promotes consistent
awareness of what one is thinking and feeling in any given moment (Gethin, 2011). In
23

this respect, mindfulness allows individuals to examine both positive and negative
emotional life experiences and stressors (Fjorback, Arendt, Ornbol, Fink, & Walach,
2011). The practice of mindfulness is considered an effective tool that contributes to the
well-being of the social worker and improves the helping professional’s interactions with
their clients and colleagues (Kabat-Zinn, 2003).
In Western psychology, mindfulness is defined as an awareness that arises
through intentionally recognizing and being attentive to one’s moment-to-moment
experiences in a non-resistant, non-reactive, and accepting perspective of personal
compassion (Kabat-Zinn, 2003). Attempts have been made to precisely define
mindfulness based stress reduction practice by positing three basic elements: (a)
intention, (b) attention, and (c) attitude (Shapiro et al., 2007). Intention, in this instance,
involves understanding the purpose and why one is developing awareness of their inner
thoughts and physiological responses. This requires continual conscious motivation,
purposeful self-discipline, and conscientious personal attentiveness. Attention is defined
as the direct, moment-to-moment awareness and understanding of what is being
experienced within one’s own mind and body. Through the philosophy of mindfulness,
the mind is trained to focus, direct, and sustain attention on personal self-awareness and
habitual responses to external and internal elements. An individuals’ attitude is how one
recognizes and accepts the caring and compassionate as well as the discerning qualities of
mindfulness based stress reduction (Shapiro et al., 2007). Through MBSR training the
mind is trained to focus and sustain attention upon maladaptive responses to encountered
stressors that can be altered to more positive and meaningful experiences (Shapiro, Astin,
Bishop & Cordova, 2005).
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The adoption of mindfulness as an alternative therapeutic approach has been
shown to improve an individual’s capacity to sustain emotional well-being and develop
compassionate self-regard (Cacciatore & Flint, 2012). MBSR training techniques are
recommended as a useful method for improving mental health and reducing symptoms of
stress, anxiety and depression which are associated with job burnout. A MBSR training
intervention can increase the helping professionals coping skills in order to manage
stressful experiences more effectively (Kabat-Zinn, 2003).
For example, the two common techniques that are utilized to develop mindfulness
are yoga and meditation (Piet, Wurtzen & Zacharise, 2012). The practice of meditation
has been found to increase a sense of higher emotional well-being and yoga been shown
to contribute to the improvement of physical health (Keune & Fortinos, 2010). A pilot
study of 38 health care professionals conducted by Shapiro, et al., (2005), focused on a
mindfulness based stress reduction intervention and found that mindfulness is a natural
human capacity and a skill that can potentially be developed as a mediator of positive
outcomes for many mental and physical disorders. The study also suggests that a MBSR
intervention can be effective in reducing stress, increasing quality of life, and
contributing to self-compassion (Shapiro et al., 2005).
Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Training
A MBSR workshop can contribute to the overall personal and professional growth
of both the social worker and the helping professional. It has been shown that the
practice of MBSR training effectively teaches self-care skills such as stress and emotional
regulation which represents an important form of treatment in combating burnout
(Shapiro et al., 2007). The quantitative research examining self-care and stress
25

management addresses varying facets of mindfulness and its impact on overall job and
life satisfaction. For example, enhancing self-awareness, increasing emotional self-
regulation, and improving coping skills. This includes, but is not limited to, developing
techniques for physical, emotional, and psychological balance through the utilization of
more effective responses to internal and external stressors (Shapiro, et al., 2007).
The MBSR training workshop developed by Kabat-Zinn (2003), as a clinical
intervention at the University of Massachusetts medical center, is based on the premise
that improving the capacity to be mindful is to focus on the present experience in a non-
judgmental and receptive manner. This over time reduces unregulated emotions,
reactionary responses, and negative self-centered thoughts that can lead to poor mental
and physical health (Kabat-Zinn, 2003). MBSR training is designed to be flexible in its
application to any individual suffering mental and physical distress or pain and is
therefore adaptable to any population (Gethin, 2011).
MBSR training can be efficacious in implementing a positive impact on social
workers and helping professionals. It encourages a sense of personal awareness, attentive
personal and environmental focus, self-compassion, personal empathy as well as an
improved ability to mitigate reactions to stressful events and situations (Campbell &
Christopher, 2012). MBSR training is designed to assist individuals in addressing
habitual behaviors or responses as well as thought processes that impede one’s ability to
view professional and personal experiences intrinsically and with favorable significance.
Social workers and helping professionals learn to acknowledge their thoughts and
feelings in order to engage in emotional self-regulation, which improves client and
colleague interaction and promotes job satisfaction (Hulsheger et al., 2013).
26

MBSR training consists of many practices such as meditation, breathing
exercises, and body scanning for physiological responses to stress. The main purpose of
these practices are to alter the individual’s responses associated with stressful thoughts
and feelings, all of which stem from dealing with distressful events which are generated
through interactions with both clients and colleagues alike (Campbell & Christopher,
2012). Burnout is the ultimate result of emotional fatigue and continued distressful
interactions. Thus, justifying the need for mindfulness based stress reduction training
interventions that promote an improved productive disposition, an increased positive
outlook, and personal self-control of responses to the individual’s situational stressors
(Kabat-Zinn, 2003).
Overall, MBSR is considered a practice that requires personal commitment. It
presents an opportunity for beneficial lifestyle changes that can become a life altering
practice and not simply a superficial intervention (Campbell & Christopher, 2013).
Personal practice requires developing knowledge of an individual’s self and allowing
mindfulness to adjust their experiences, thoughts, and responses to internal and external
factors. MBSR training has been shown to be an effective best practice for fostering
emotional well-being and minimizing psychological distress and physical pain (Sharma
& Rush, 2014).
Conclusion
The clinical research in the area of MBSR shows that the cultivation of
mindfulness is a valuable practice as an intervention for burnout (Kabat-Zinn, 2003). It is
a useful method in overcoming the symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression.
Mindfulness also helps to provide the social worker and helping professional with
27

improved coping skills and reduced reactionary responses to environmental as well as
internal stressors which then contribute to the minimization of the overall impact of
burnout and compassion fatigue benefitting both helping professionals and their clients
(Hozel et al., 2011). MBSR has been shown to be an effective therapeutic intervention
that provides evidence-based beneficial results (Hozel et al., 2011).
According to a meta-analysis study conducted by Campbell and Christopher
(2014), the practice of mindfulness based stress reduction is beneficial to both the helping
professional and client as it contributes to the overall therapeutic and workplace
experience as well. Mindfulness assists social workers and service providers with a
means to develop and increase their ability to communicate, empathize, and to be fully
present throughout their interventions and treatment with their clients. MBSR also
contributes to an improved sense of well-being and increases the quality of engagement
and professional interaction with their coworkers mentally, emotionally and cognitively.
This helps to improve the overall quality of the therapeutic relationship therefore
generating effective client intervention outcomes (Campbell & Christopher, 2014).
Overarching literature, according to a meta-analysis study conducted by Wilmar
et al. (2009), three decades of research regarding burnout in social services and helping
professions has contributed to vast data and knowledge of the causes, symptoms, and
consequences of burnout on social workers and helping professionals. The literature has
also contributed information regarding the repercussions to social service agencies and
organizations due to social worker and helping professional burnout. Burnout is a
professional liability and is increased by a multitude of internal and external factors such
28

as the helping professionals subjective work experience, workplace job demands, gender
and age as well as the lack of supervisory and coworker support.
MBSR has proven to be an increasingly beneficial practice for social workers and
helping professionals. It is imperative that self-care as well as professional well-being
are correlated and encouraged in order to increase a sense of professional achievement as
well as an improved quality of mental and physical health. The practice of mindfulness
and personal awareness to habitual and reactionary behaviors proves to be realistic and
can be applicable to a wide range of work environments. Mindfulness positively
influences the therapeutic interaction with clients and colleagues. The practice of MBSR
contributes to effective and efficient social services, which is the goal of MBSR training
(Campbell & Christopher, 2012; Kabat-Zinn, 2003; Wilmar et al., 2009).
29

CHAPTER 3
METHODS
Identification of Potential Funding Sources
In search of funding sources for the MBSR training workshop for social workers
and helping professionals the grant writer utilized the world wide web search engines
such as Yahoo, Google and Google scholar in order to gather information pertaining to
funding resources that would be suitable for the funding of this workshop. Resources
that provide grant funding such as grants.gov, promindful.org, the Long Beach Non Profit
Partnership, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and The Archstone Foundation were
examined for potential grant funding. Key words and phrases that were utilized for the
searches and the topic are: funding, grants, social worker burnout, compassion fatigue,
secondary trauma stress, social workers, human service providers, social service worker
stress, helping professional stress, job place stress reduction, helping professionals,
mindfulness based stress reduction, burnout prevention, social work stressors, mental
health, anxiety, depression, and self-care. Through the search of various funding
foundations the grant writer determined three potential grant funding resources such as
The Weingart Foundation, The Jewish Community Foundation, and the National Institute
of Mental Health. The Weingart Foundation and the National Institute for Mental Health
were selected for further review as potential sources for grant funding for the mindfulness
based stress reduction workshop.
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The Weingart Foundation
The Weingart Foundation was founded in 1951 by Ben and Stella Weingart and is
located in Southern California. The foundation is operated as a private and nonprofit
grant foundation. The foundation provides grants and other support designed to improve
the capacity and sustainability of nonprofit agencies and organizations. The grants are
awarded in order to assist and improve communities by providing effective services in
the areas of health, human services, and education (The Weingart Foundation, 2014).
The foundation supports nonprofit organizations throughout six Southern
California counties. Throughout the past 40 years, the Weingart Foundation has granted
more than $976 million to support educational and community programs and various
social service agencies and organizations that meet the needs of the disenfranchised or
economically challenged in the areas of older adults, low income children and youth, the
homeless and those suffering from disabilities. The foundation continues to serve the
needs of Southern California’s nonprofit organizations in order to promote new and
improved community services and a broad range of social services (The Weingart
Foundation, 2014).
The Jewish Community Foundation
The Jewish Community Foundation, a non-profit organization, has contributed for
60 years to institutions, individuals, and professional advisors on promoting the greatest
possible impact on both the Jewish community and the overall community at large. They
are the largest manager of charitable assets and leaders in planned granting solutions for
the Greater Los Angeles area. In 2013, the foundation and its more than 1,000 donors
distributed $65 million in grants to hundreds of organizations. In 1954 the Jewish
31

Federation of Greater Los Angeles established the Jewish Community Foundation of Los
Angeles to serve as a permanent philanthropic resource for the community as a whole
(The Jewish Community Foundation, 2014).
The organization's main objective is to provide funding resources to assist in
meeting the community’s needs. The foundation awards grants on a competitive basis to
nonprofit organizations and programs. This foundation, according to the listing of grant
recipients, shows that it strongly supports social and human service agencies for a variety
of needs such as programs for gang intervention, health and wellness promotion, and
women and children’s education (The Jewish Community Foundation, 2014).
National Institute of Mental Health
The National Institute of Mental Health is a government institute whose mission
is to transform the understanding and treatment of mental illnesses through basic and
clinical research. This institution’s research paves the way for prevention, education,
recovery, and cures for various mental disorders. The National Institute of Mental Health
believes that to fulfill this health mission, it must promote innovative thinking to ensure
that novel perspectives are used to further the knowledge of the brain, behavior, and the
experience of the individual. This division of the National Institute of Mental Health
supports studies that assess the effectiveness of preventative interventions and treatment
for mental health illnesses (National Institute of Mental Health, 2014).
Criteria for Selection of Funder
Following the assessment of the three potential funders, the foundation chosen as
the most potential grant funder for the mindfulness based stress reduction training
workshop is The Weingart Foundation of Southern California. The determining factor of
32

which funder would be most suited for this grant was a review of the application criteria
as well as an assessment of the selection of agency and program grant recipients
previously awarded grant funding. The review also examined the grant funds allotted to
varying types of social service and human service agencies. The Weingart Foundation is
unique in that it promotes The Small Grant Program which supports grant funding for
human and social services under $25,000.
Needs Assessment
The assessment for the need of the proposed MBSR training workshop will be
determined based upon the responses to a self-reported questionnaire addressing burnout
in the workplace. The questionnaire will be disbursed to various social service agencies
in the Long Beach area, including the host agency, The Jewish Family and Children’s
Service Center. The questionnaire will provide data and feedback, pertaining to burnout
in the workplace, which will be utilized to determine the needs of social workers and
helping professionals providing direct services throughout human and social service
agencies in the Long Beach area.
Following a review of the literature pertaining to social worker burnout and
mindfulness based stress reduction training, it is evident that there is a need for evidence-
based interventions to assist social workers and helping professionals in improving their
professional capacity as well as successful client interaction and outcomes (Hulsheger et
al., 2013). Approximately 4-8% of the working population reports experiencing
symptoms of severe burnout (Gerber et al., 2013). In a quantitative study conducted by
Acker, (2012) the results suggested that over half of the 460 participants (56%)
experienced moderate to high levels of emotional exhaustion. A majority of the
33

participants (73%) also expressed moderate to high levels of role stress and half of the
participants (50%) had considered an intention to quit their jobs due to feelings of
burnout.
34

CHAPTER 4
GRANT REQUEST
This grant request of $15,390.00 has been prepared for submission to The
Weingart Foundation on behalf of the Jewish Family and Children’s Services in order to
implement the mindfulness based stress reduction training workshop. The purpose of this
workshop is to provide education and mindfulness based skills and techniques in order to
decrease stress and burnout experienced by social workers and helping professionals
providing direct service within the social service fields. Specific elements of The
Weingart Foundation grant proposal application criteria have been excluded for the
purposes of this thesis. The sections of the small grants program application that have
been omitted include: the letter of inquiry, fiscal sponsor information, board of director’s
information, financial documentation, and various program specific documents.
Mission Statement and Goals of Host Agency
The mission and goals of the Jewish Family and Children’s Services of Long
Beach is to provide a broad range of social services to all community members regardless
of race, ethnicity, disability, or sexual orientation in facing life’s challenges. The Jewish
Family and Children’s Service’s goal is to provide compassionate, professional and
affordable individual, family and group services in a trusting, safe, and healing
environment. The staff of Jewish Family and Children’s Service’s consists of licensed
35

clinical social workers, marriage and family therapists, psychiatrists, geriatric specialists,
and case managers. The agency also serves as a field placement center for graduate
students from local universities and colleges. The services available for members of the
community in need of assistance or intervention are: adult clinical services, professional
counseling, domestic violence programs, older adult services and support and group
services as well as the The Center for Children, Youth, and Families. Other services
available to the overall community are various support groups for specific needs such as
caregiver and grief and bereavement support groups as well as emergency financial
assistance, and information and referrals to community resources (Chris Goldman,
personal communication endorsing this project and validating the need for this workshop,
August, 2014).
Identification of Need
Social service work is challenging yet is also stressful to many social workers and
other helping professionals (Adams, et al., 2013). Social workers and other helping
professionals interact with individuals facing challenging life situations or crisis and
provide direct services in order to promote successful outcomes with those in need of
interventions (Papovic, 2009). In a quantitative study conducted by Papsuletti, et al.,
(2009), it was found that social service workers and helping professionals who work with
clients on a daily basis face significantly higher levels of stress and anxiety.
Research suggests that MBSR programs can contribute to the enhancement of
psychological and physical well-being of those workers who are at risk for job burnout.
MBSR is an educationally-based program focusing on training in the Eastern
contemplative practice of mindfulness. The essence of mindfulness involves awareness
36

and acceptance of whatever is occurring in the present moment (Gethin, 2011). The act
of mindfulness is a form of meditation originally derived from the Theravada tradition of
Buddhism. Though it has its roots in Buddhist meditation, MBSR is a secular practice
that is a practice developed by Jon Kabat-Zinn in the late 1970s. Since that time,
numerous studies have documented the physical and mental health benefits of
mindfulness in general for use in numerous human services settings (Kabat-Zinn, 2003).
Effectiveness Studies and Therapeutic Stress Reduction
Recent studies reveal that interventions such as the proposed program for JCFS
such can be effective in addressing symptoms of burnout. A recent analysis of 25
burnout prevention intervention studies conducted by Awa, Plaumann, and Walter (2010)
demonstrated that 82% of person-directed interventions such as relaxation, music
therapy, adaptive coping instruction, and cognitive behavioral counseling can be effective
in reducing symptoms of burnout including the promotion of enhanced job performance,
increase stress management skills, and improved personal coping (Awa, Plaumann, &
Walter, 2010; van der Klink, Blonk, Schene, & Dijk, 2011).
Another study conducted in Sweden showed that cognitive-behavioral therapy in
combination with elements of yoga exercises show promising results in reducing stress-
related symptoms commonly associated with burnout (Granath, Ingvarsson, Thiele, &
Lundberg, 2006). Additionally, other studies have shown that use of yoga movements
can help promote positive physiological (Murugesan, Govindarajulu, & Bera, 2000) and
psychological outcomes (Malathi, Damodaran, Shah, Patil, & Maratha, 2000).
37

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Addressing Burnout
Burnout, as originally identified in a study conducted by Maslach and Jackson
(1981), can be experienced by human services workers due to prolonged exposure to
workplace stressors that can cause emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and a lack of
feeling or regard toward client services and interventions as well as a sense of loss in
personal accomplishment and achievement. The significance of burnout is critical as it
can adversely affect the quality, consistency, and efficacy of direct care and interventions
for clients in need of social services (Kim & Lee, 2009). The cognitive, emotional, and
behavioral effects of burnout include lowered concentration, feelings of depression
apathy, fatigue, anxiety, as well as increased mental health and physical disorders
(Berzoff & Kita, 2010). Excessive work-related stress and emotional exhaustion leading
to burnout can impair job performance including high absenteeism and a high turnover
rate as well as the capacity to work effectively and efficiently toward successful client
interventions and outcomes (Jenaro et al., 2007). The phenomenon of social service
worker burnout has raised awareness for the need of evidence-based interventions that
can promote self-care skills (Kanter, 2007, Jenaro et al., 2007).
Clearly, research demonstrates that mindfulness interventions has been
therapeutically utilized for a broad range of disorders such as chronic stress, anxiety,
depression as well as physical disorders (Shapiro et., 2007, Roth & Robbins, 2004). The
utilization of MBSR as a complementary practice along with traditional therapeutic
interventions can be useful in the reduction of stress, anxiety, and depression associated
with burnout (Cacciatore & Flint, 2012, Kabat-Zinn, 2003).
38

The introductory workshop proposed here can provide attendees with improved
coping skills and reframed reactions and responses to workplace and environmental
stressors through education and the application of relaxation techniques, simple yoga
activities, and creative visualization in the context of MBSR (Hozel, et al., 2011). As a
result of the intervention, participants will learn about the nature of mindfulness and
practice some of the skills to learn of its utility in promoting cognitive restructuring of
stressors to promote improved client service and job satisfaction, while preventing the
negative impact of job burnout (Hulsheger et al., 2013, Hozel, et a., 2011).
Project Description
The 6 hour mindfulness based stress reduction-training workshop will be a 1 day
workshop that will be held three times throughout the year at the Jewish Family and
Children’s Service center. The participants will be recruited through referrals from
various social service agencies in the Long Beach area and through advertising in The
Jewish Chronicle, which is distributed at numerous social service agencies throughout
Long Beach. Each workshop will consist of 15 participants who have expressed
symptoms of burnout or stress. The workshop participants will be screened by the
workshop coordinator to assess their eligibility and if the workshop will be beneficial for
them. If so, participants will be scheduled for the workshop accordingly.
The overarching goal of the workshop is to provide education on the values of
MBSR and to practice simple skills that can help alleviate symptoms of stress and
potential for burnout. The objectives of the workshop will be to:
1. Provide education regarding stress and burnout and their impact on both
mental and physical health;
39

2. Provide education regarding mindfulness-based stress reduction as a stress
reduction tool;
3. Provide mindfulness-based stress reduction skills to help increase coping skills
with work stressors.
A contracted specialist in mindfulness-based stress reduction will facilitate the 6-
hour workshop. The workshop coordinator will assist with all preparations pertaining to
the workshop as well as manage and address issues throughout the duration of the day.
Although the curriculum will be modified based upon the expertise of the contracted
trainer, the proposed topics to be covered during the workshop will address the following:
The first phase of the workshop will include the educational portion of the
workshop. This will include the causes and consequences of burnout and its
manifestation on the body and mind. This information delivered through lecture and
discussion will help participants develop an awareness of the situations that can lead to
burnout, the psychological and physiological reactions to stressors, and the stress
response cycle and how stress impacts personal well-being.
Next, there will be open discussion of personal experiences of the participants
regarding their personal work stressors. The purpose of this discussion will be for
recognizing the universality of feelings and sharing common experiences regarding stress
and the potential for burnout. Discussed with participants will be both the causes of
personal exhaustion and suggested alternatives for helping alleviate the symptoms of
these conditions.
Following this, the next phase of the workshop will focus on informing
participants about mindfulness-based stress reduction and its practical value in reducing
40

stress-related conditions commonly associated with burnout. The history of mindfulness
will be discussed and how the Buddhist tradition can be utilized today in helping
participants gain a better sense of control and mastery over their stress as well as their
emotional reactions to trigger situations they shared earlier. This information portion will
cover the purpose of mindfulness practice, how mindfulness can be utilized in decreasing
stressors, and simple techniques could help increase participants overall individual well-
being.
The next phase of the workshop will be the application of mindfulness techniques
to help alleviate symptoms of stress. The skills taught will include use of tools and
techniques of simple meditation through breathing techniques and creative visualization
as well as simple stretching techniques which are both low impact and non-assertive.
These exercises and tools will inform the participants about the utility of these practices
to help participants cope with their individual stressful situations.
Next, participants will process their feelings and reactions regarding the use of the
mindfulness-based skills techniques taught and how they might be applied to their life
situation. The facilitator will show the direct relationship to the practice skills taught and
how they can physiologically impact the overall mental health and physical health of
human service workers who experience excessive compassion fatigue.
The workshop will conclude with the participants engaging in discussion with the
facilitator regarding the usefulness of these techniques to their life situation. Also, the
participants will be asked to complete posttest evaluation materials in order to measure
their knowledge gained as a result of the workshop. Additionally, informational
materials on the home use and workplace practice of mindfulness techniques with further
41

resources will be distributed for follow-up if needed. The use of the techniques taught
and demonstrated throughout the workshop can help social service participants gain
awareness of mindfulness-based strategies to help alleviate their stressful situations that
also contribute to their feelings of compassion fatigue and job burnout.
Evaluation of Workshop
It is proposed that the MBSR training workshop will increase education regarding
stress and burnout as well as increase coping skills through the utilization of mindfulness-
based stress reduction techniques. In order to determine the effectiveness of the
workshop, a self-reporting questionnaire will be created for post evaluation. The
workshop participants, following the end of the workshop, will complete the
questionnaire for the purpose of determining if the participants had gained any
knowledge, skills and techniques, or personal insight regarding stress, burnout, and
mindfulness that was beneficial to them from the workshop. The questionnaire will also
allow participants to provide feedback and suggestions on which areas of the workshop
could be improved, information that would be of further assistance to participants and
how to improve the workshop for future use and participants. It is the objective of the
workshop to increase up to 90% participant education regarding stress and burnout as
well as increasing the development of skills and techniques that can be utilized for stress
reduction.
Budget Narrative
The determination of the direct cost for a mindfulness based stress reduction
training specialist for three workshops along amounted to $3,000.00, was calculated by
contacting various Los Angeles based mindfulness training centers that provide
42

workshops as well as individual mindfulness instruction and training. The workshop
coordinator, an MSW social worker, amounted to the direct cost with benefits @ 25%
amounted to $7,500.00. The conference room rental and equipment in-kind fees of
$1,950.00 are a contribution from the Jewish Family and Children’s Center. The indirect
costs of supplies such as handouts, post-evaluation forms, small journals for participant
note taking, and pencils were determined by office supply store estimates of $1,200.00,
and the indirect cost of refreshments and lunch for participants of $1,500.00 was
calculated by contacting various restaurants that provide catering in the Long Beach area.
The indirect cost of printing and advertising of $600.00 was determined by contacting
various printing shops and the community advertising office of The Jewish Chronicle.
The majority of foundation grant funding will apply to direct expenditures such as
the contracting of a mindfulness based stress reduction training specialist at $3,000.00
and the MSW workshop coordinator at $7,500.00 for the entirety of three workshops.
The remainder of funds will apply to indirect expenses such as printing, advertising,
refreshments, and supplies and materials as well as administrative costs.
43

TABLE 1. Itemized Budget for Mindulness-Based Stress Reduction Training
Expenses Amount In Kind
Direct Expenses
STAFFING
1 Workshop Coordinator (MSW) $ 6,000.00
$2000.00 x 3 workshops
Benefits @ 25% $ 1,500.00
1 Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Specialist $ 3,000.00
TOTAL SALARIES WITH BENEFITS $10,500.00
INDIRECT WORKSHOP COSTS
Printing and Advertising $ 600.00
Refreshments $ 1,500.00
Supplies (paper, pens, pencils, etc.) $ 1,200.00
Conference Room Rental $ 1,350.00
450.00 x 3 workshops
Equipment $ 600.00
(office, laptops, etc.) 200.00 x3 workshops
TOTAL INDIRECT WORKSHOP COSTS $ 5,250.00
TOTAL DIRECT AND STAFFING COSTS $15,750.00
INDIRECT WORKSHOP COSTS
Administrative @10% $ 1,590.00
TOTAL WORKSHOP COSTS $17,340.00
Total Expenses $15,390.00
44

CHAPTER 5
LESSONS LEARNED
Review of the Study of Burnout
The social services profession is challenging and stressful for many social
workers and helping professionals. The nature of working in environments that can be
emotionally demanding leaves helping professionals to cope in the workplace with job
related anxiety such as emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and a sense of
diminished personal job accomplishment (Maslach & Jackson, 1981).
Helping professionals that work in daily contact with the critical needs of their
clients have a high incidence of job burnout due to chronic labor stress. Stress impairs
job performance and the ability to work effectively and efficiently with clients and
colleagues alike (Jenaro et al., 2007). The significance of workplace burnout is critical as
it can be experienced across a broad range of social services and helping professions and
adversely affects the quality and consistency of client services (Kim & Lee, 2009).
According to Kanter (2007), the prevalence of social service worker burnout has
raised awareness for the need of increased evidence-based interventions. The
development of evidence-based programs that teach self-care skills to social workers and
helping professionals can contribute to decreasing stress and burnout. Self-care
workshops and programs can assist helping professionals at risk for emotional and
45

psychological problems relative to work stressors that lead to burnout as well (Shapiro,
Brown & Biegel, 2007).
A growing body of research throughout the last three decades suggests that the
practice of mindfulness contributes to the enhancement of psychological and physical
well-being and can decrease stress and anxiety (Shapiro et al., 2007). Mindfulness is the
practice of awareness of thoughts and feelings which are recognized in the immediate
moment and developing a nonjudgmental perspective of one’s own reactions and
responses to life’s stressors (Kabat-Zinn (2003). Meditation is one of many forms of
mindfulness practice. Mindfulness has been utilized therapeutically for a broad range of
disorders such as anxiety, depression, stress, and anger management (Roth & Robbins,
2004).
Grant Writing Process
The grant writing process is a new format of writing for the writer which required
an in depth study of grant writing through the analysis of previously published grant
proposals in order to develop and understanding of the format and requirements of grant
writing. The writer experienced a transition in writing styles from general research
writing to a form of technical writing. Grant writing is non subjective in context and
must be factually concise, clearly detailed in relevant literature pertaining to the chosen
problem to be addressed, the needs of the population affected must be detailed, and the
goals and objectives of the proposed intervention clearly defined and measurable for the
potential success of the proposed goal.
The grant writer developed new skills in researching for literature and data,
gained knowledge in searching for potential funding foundations, and also learned how to
46

refine internet and database research skills in order to obtain precise literature pertaining
to the proposed topic for the request of a grant. The process of locating various funding
foundations proved to be very interesting in examining the foundations goals and
missions as well as the types of recipients and agencies that received funding for a variety
of innovative interventions and projects. The foundation search process was also a
unique study of the criteria necessary simply to apply for a grant proposal.
Review of the Proposed Project
The proposed project in addressing burnout among social workers and helping
professionals was determined through research and discussion with other professionals
regarding the experience of workplace burnout. Through the combination of research
and discussions it became apparent that burnout was a serious problem that impacted the
quality and efficacy of a social service providers interaction with clients and colleagues.
The literature defined the symptomology of burnout as well as the negative
impact burnout ultimately has on service delivery and client interventions. The research
on mindfulness based stress reduction training revealed that professionals can gain
coping skills and techniques in addressing stress, anxiety, and depression in overcoming
challenging workplace stressors through mindfulness and positive awareness of their
personal responses and reactions to stressors. As a social worker, according to research,
developing an awareness of burnout and its repercussions is beneficial in developing an
increased professional perspective of the necessity for self-care.
Relevance for Social Work Practice
It is the goal of social workers to deliver effective and quality services to clients
and communities in order to gain the maximum positive interventions and goal outcomes.
47

Social workers provide resources, counseling, therapy, and crisis care in many respects,
yet often, due to the demanding nature of social work, self care is often over looked.
Although social workers are informed of evidence-based interventions for their clients
many do not practice personal interventions of self care to increase the quality of their
own well-being and personal lives. The writer feels that the promotion of self-
care in human and social services is critical to quality delivery of services.
The writer, through the research for this grant proposal, learned that there are
many negative factors relative to burnout and the impact it has on both the worker and the
delivery of services. For example; workers often engage in high risk behaviors, develop
mental and physical health problems, and contribute to a high rate of agency worker
turnover. It is also apparent that many social workers are not aware of the symptoms of
burnout and do not realize the consequences until burnout has increased negative
responses to stressors and a lack of interest in care and interaction with both client and
colleagues.
There is a broad range of research regarding the prevalence of burnout in the
workplace. Yet, there is limited research in alternative means for social workers and
those working in the helping professions to address their experiences coping with
burnout. The writer feels that it is critical to the profession of social work to be educated
in the area of stress and burnout as well as the necessary skills to be utilized in order to
prevent burnout and promote self-care.
Professional Development
The grant writer developed an increasing appreciation for the concise, factual, and
technical writing process and wishes to acquire further expertise in grant writing skills as
48

well as gain experience in collaborating with agencies, increasing knowledge of funding
foundations, and develop networking skills needed to acquire further knowledge of the
process of acquiring grants for increasing the funding for the development of
interventions and community projects.
The writer feels that the skill of grant writing is paramount to the enhancement of
social services. Developing skills and refinement in the area of grant writing is the goal
of this writer as research and writing are a significant aspect in the field of social work.
The writer’s intentions are to continue to develop skills in grant writing and seek out
innovative interventions and projects that will benefit the field of social services as well
as communities as a whole.
Lessons Learned
The writer feels that the grant writing experience increased her skills in seeking
out assistance, managing multiple tasks and workloads, as well as developing
mindfulness based coping skills for self care throughout the process of study and
literature research. The writer was inexperienced in writing grant proposals, but
throughout the process the writer continued to gain skills, increased motivation, higher
levels of personal discipline and determination to learn and grow from the demands of the
grant writing experience.
49

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