American Intercontinental University Burnout Among Crisis Workers Discussion Discussion 1: Burnout At times, the stress and strain of dealing with people

American Intercontinental University Burnout Among Crisis Workers Discussion Discussion 1: Burnout

At times, the stress and strain of dealing with people in crisis may lead to what is called secondary trauma, commonly known as burnout. Secondary trauma occurs when crisis workers are negatively impacted after repeated exposure to survivors’ stories about disasters, crises, or traumas. Crisis workers might be particularly susceptible to secondary trauma when they have to meet with many survivors over the course of a few days, as in the case of a shooting in a public place. It is important that crisis workers and crisis response organizations become familiar with the signs and symptoms of secondary trauma so that they can prevent and alleviate burnout in the field.

To prepare for this Discussion:

Focus on some of the contributing factors related to burnout among crisis workers.
Consider effective strategies that individuals and/or organizations might employ to prevent and/or alleviate burnout.
Identify two factors that might lead to burnout among crisis workers. Think about why such factors may result in burnout.
Consider how individuals and organizations might prevent or reduce burnout through the use of specific intervention strategies.

With these thoughts in mind:

BY DAY 3

Post a brief description of at least two factors that might lead to burnout among crisis workers and explain why. Then, explain how organizations and/or crisis workers might prevent and/or alleviate burnout. Be sure to describe two specific strategies that organizations and/or crisis workers might use to prevent and/or alleviate burnout.

Be sure to support your postings and responses with specific references to the Learning Resources.

Read a selection of your colleagues’ postings.

REQUIRED READINGS
Gould, J. (October 17, 2005). Compassion fatigue: An expert interview with Charles R. Figley, MS, PhD. Retrieved from http://www.onehealth.ca/r_alberta_nwt/video_confer…

Traumatic Stress Institute. (n.d.). Interview with Dr. Laurie Pearlman about vicarious traumatization. Retrieved May 28, 2014, from http://traumaticstressinstitute.org/wp-content/upl…

James, R. K., & Gilliland, B. E. (2017). Crisis intervention strategies (8th ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.
Chapter 16, “Human Services Workers in Crisis: Burnout, Vicarious Traumatization, and Compassion Fatigue” (pp. 546-576).