Here Comes Summer: Selfcare for Social Workers 

Burnout is this summer's key word for social workers. The first heat wave has already rolled across the nation, and climate experts tell us there is more to come. Since the dawn of the Industrial Revolution, summertime has been vacation time. The time when workers rest and refresh for another year of labor looming in the fall. Not so for social workers. Research reveals that the demands on social workers pick up in the summer months, but social workers accustomed to the natural rhythms of the American workforce tend to drift into summer expecting to rest and relax like the rest of the world. They are often not prepared for the relentless intensity of need that their clients experience as the summer heat and school closers put an even greater burden on struggling parents, the elderly, and the homeless. As it turns out, just when social workers start to let down their natural guard in step with traditional summer slack time, they are deluged with intensifying client need. In short, social workers are not prepared and without purposeful self-care often burnout during the summer months.

Most of us have the luxury of spending the holidays relaxing with our loved ones. But not everyone’s that lucky. Some are separated from their families; others don’t have a home to go back to. And for many, the new year doesn’t hold the normal excitement. Many people have endured yet another arduous and terrible year as a result of society's growing discontent. 

And who is there for all of these vulnerable people during the holiday season? — Social workers, societies selfless care givers, of course!

As a non-profit executive working in healthcare and human/social services, there’s no question that you have a tendency to put others’ needs before your own. Which is an awesome quality when you’re sitting behind your executive desk, but not so awesome when you and your family need attention.

Being a case manager is stressful work. The hours are long. The caseloads are heavy. Budgets are tight. And you are often dealing with people facing some of the worst moments of their lives. We have discussed in previous posts different ways that social workers can achieve case manager stress relief. In this post we look at some organizational tactics to reduce stress for your case managers.

In the realm of human services, social workers are the unsung heroes, tirelessly dedicated to improving the lives of vulnerable children and families, working with homeless populations to help rebuild their life's, serving our veterans, working with seniors and helping juveniles and adults navigate the justice system. However, the demanding nature of their work can take a toll, leading to stress and burnout.

The good news is that technology is here to help. In this blog, we'll explore how technology plays a vital role in addressing the challenge of social workers’ burnout, especially among those in the foster care sector.

The topic of self-care comes up frequently in social services. Perhaps because case workers are in the most empathetic profession of all. They deal daily with human frailty and willingly accept responsibility for the plight of the less fortunate. They bear society’s burden for the suffering of the marginalized and feel the pain of the innocent who don’t understand why they are suffering.  Social workers suffer along with their clients when they are unable to wave a magic wand and erase the pain that circumstances inflict on little children, single mothers, mentally ill homeless, confused elderly, and those facing life’s certain end alone.

The American social service sector employs over 680,000 caseworkers. As the industry expands, record numbers of new caseworkers join the ranks. There will always be a learning curve, but in an industry, that's experiencing large numbers of job burnout and turnover, tips for newcomers can be a lifesaver. Let's share some diehard tips for the newbie case managers and a refresher for our brilliant veterans.  

Employee burnout exists, and according to a recent survey, 23% of full-time workers in the United States experience burnout the majority of the time during the work week. So, if you're a nonprofit leader and you notice that your case workers aren't as enthusiastic as they used to be or are falling behind in their daily tasks, it may be time to look into whether job burnout could be the issue.

While there are numerous traditional methods for motivating caseworkers, we have compiled a list of steps that social service agencies can take on their own. This is to ensure that your case managers are not neglecting themselves or their mental health while serving their communities.

Research shows that social service professionals exhibit a greater capacity for empathy than most of their contemporaries in other professions. Studies also show that this “ability to understand and share the feelings of another” is what motivates well-meaning young people to go into social work in the first place. The irony, however, is that this same capacity to “share the feelings of another” is also the primary cause of burnout among caseworkers.

We like to celebrate a New Year when the calendar turns its annual page. We believe that a “new” year offers us another chance to turn the bad into the good. However, case workers who work with the most vulnerable among us know that a “new year” is simply an artifice. Every day that case workers go into the office they believe they have an opportunity to turn the bad into the better. Every day is New Year’s Day for case workers.