Preventing Burnout in Social Work: Protecting Our Clients and Ourselves (Online)
3 Credit Hours | $45.00 | Author: Lori Ammon, MA, LSW
Skill Level: Beginner to Intermediate

By the very nature of the job, social workers are at risk for burnout. We frequently hear the term burnout in relation to social work, but what exactly is burnout, and how does it differ from stress? Why do social workers seem to experience an inordinate amount of stress and burnout? More importantly, what can be done to control stress and prevent burnout before it drives social workers out of their chosen profession?

This course is designed to identify risk factors for burnout and to examine the negative impact burnout has on the social worker and the delivery of ethical and effective services to clients. It explores the issues that contribute to stress and burnout from an individual and an organizational perspective.

Prevention of burnout is a primary focus of this course. Strategies are identified to empower social workers to take control of their individual situations to reduce stress and become healthy and effective service providers. Recent research has pointed to the unhealthy organization as the primary contributing factor to worker burnout. Therefore, focus is placed on ways in which the organization must change to support social workers and prevent burnout. This course is appropriate for Social Workers from beginner to intermediate levels especially those within an agency or organizational environment.

The on-line course material is presented in a PDF with pre-established bookmarks outlining the different sections of the course. Click on "bookmarks" on the left side of the PDF to access the course sections. If you do not have the most recent version of Adobe Reader, click here to download a free copy. You will temporarily leave the site until the download is complete and you close out of the Adobe site.

eLearning Essentials, provider #1123, is approved as a provider for social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) www.aswb.org, through the Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Social Workers participating in this course will receive 3 continuing education clock hours.

eLearning Essentials, provider #RCS050601, is recognized by the Ohio Counselor, Social Worker, Marriage and Family Therapist Board to be a provider of continuing professional education (CPE) for social workers. Social Workers participating in this course will receive 3 continuing education clock hours.

eLearning Essentials, provider # 50-8572, is recognized by the Florida Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapy, and Mental Health Counseling to offer continuing education for counselors, social workers, and marriage and family therapists. Participants will receive 4 continuing education clock hours.

eLearning Essentials, provider # PCE 4004, is recognized by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences to offer continuing education to meet MFT and LCSW licensure requirements. Participants will receive 3 continuing education clock hours.

eLearning Essentials adheres to the standards of each board and maintains responsibility for the program.

Course Objectives

• Differentiate between work related stress and burnout.
• Identify signs of burnout in yourself and your colleagues.
• Analyze your work environment for risk factors that contribute to burnout.
• Consider the general characteristics of social work practice that contribute to burnout.
• Examine the impact of social work burnout on clients.
• Identify ways in which an organization can support social workers and prevent burnout.
• Formulate a stress-management plan based on your needs and work setting that will help you prevent burnout.
• Apply the NASW Code of Ethics to a social worker's individual responsibility in preventing burnout.
• Describe characteristics of an effective social worker.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Lori Ammon, MA, LSW, received her BSW and MA in Agency Counseling from Northern Michigan University and her MSW in Social Work Administration from Temple University in Philadelphia. For the past 20 years, her work has centered in the areas of aging and long-term care with positions as Social Work Director and Geriatric Therapist. She is currently working as a Private Consultant for long-term care and aging services. She is the past president and current newsletter/website editor for the Social Service Worker's Association for Nursing Homes, where she has published several articles. She has developed educational programs in aging issues for staff, families and community members in the Doylestown, PA area, where she resides with her husband and two children.

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