Introduction
Children and Family Services (CFS) caseworkers have a demanding and difficult job due to high caseloads, complex clients, and insurmountable amount of paperwork. Given these reasons, CFS workers struggle with exhaustion, compassion fatigue, and burnout. This study was conducted to determine if CFS workers in Region 2 suffer from compassion fatigue and what can be done to help alleviate some risk factors attributed to compassion fatigue.
The Problem
Compassion fatigue has been topic of increased consideration within CFS for a number of years. Working in this field requires working with traumatized clients in high stress environments. Additionally, exposure to secondary trauma can lead a worker to premature burnout. It is imperative that the signs and consequences of compassion fatigue and burnout be researched to gain insight into better preventative methods. Knowledge of and adherence to appropriate methods of self-care are essential for …show more content…
The following table presents the statewide counts, by type of case, and the caseload averages from the four month counts for SFY 2010-2013
Further, assertions have been made to suggest compassion fatigue can be experienced when a [social worker] feels or believes their client is not progressing towards improvement. In fact, Smullens (2012) reported social workers who notice that their clients are not [getting] any [better] and are continuing to suffer, can actually increase compassion fatigue within the worker. Therefore, empathic and caring social workers can become victims of the continuing stress of working with said clients which often time becomes overwhelming, thus, resulting in compassion fatigue.
However, for the remainder of this paper, Compassion Fatigue (CF) will be the term used when describing the consequences of the emotional stress being experienced by social
Children and Family Services (CFS) caseworkers have a demanding and difficult job due to high caseloads, complex clients, and insurmountable amount of paperwork. Given these reasons, CFS workers struggle with exhaustion, compassion fatigue, and burnout. This study was conducted to determine if CFS workers in Region 2 suffer from compassion fatigue and what can be done to help alleviate some risk factors attributed to compassion fatigue.
The Problem
Compassion fatigue has been topic of increased consideration within CFS for a number of years. Working in this field requires working with traumatized clients in high stress environments. Additionally, exposure to secondary trauma can lead a worker to premature burnout. It is imperative that the signs and consequences of compassion fatigue and burnout be researched to gain insight into better preventative methods. Knowledge of and adherence to appropriate methods of self-care are essential for …show more content…
The following table presents the statewide counts, by type of case, and the caseload averages from the four month counts for SFY 2010-2013
Further, assertions have been made to suggest compassion fatigue can be experienced when a [social worker] feels or believes their client is not progressing towards improvement. In fact, Smullens (2012) reported social workers who notice that their clients are not [getting] any [better] and are continuing to suffer, can actually increase compassion fatigue within the worker. Therefore, empathic and caring social workers can become victims of the continuing stress of working with said clients which often time becomes overwhelming, thus, resulting in compassion fatigue.
However, for the remainder of this paper, Compassion Fatigue (CF) will be the term used when describing the consequences of the emotional stress being experienced by social