Last Updated on November 28, 2024
The human services field is one of the most rewarding professions. However, the human
services field has one of the highest turnover rates of any other profession.
Human service jobs with the highest turnover tend to be those positions that
work directly with those who need help. These positions are often direct care staff, residential
counselors, and staff at detention centers and psychiatric hospitals. However,
there is also a high level of turnover in case manager and social work
positions.
These
hard working professionals are often subject to verbal and physical abuse from
clients and extremely high workloads. In addition, human service professionals
are often underpaid which often leads to turnover. I know several who
have left the field completely due to the low pay. Most people get into the
human services field because they love helping people. Despite the desire the
help, I talk to people who are just fed up and want to move on to something
else. I offer a few suggestions to prevent burnout in this profession. Although
this is focused on the human services field, these suggestions can really be
applied to just about any profession.
Related Post: Top Five Reasons for Case Manager Burnout
1.
Schedule Monthly Vacation Time- I recommend
scheduling time off each month. I like to call them “mental health days”.
Sometimes a periodic three day weekend can be just enough to recharge the
emotional battery.
I also recommend taking at least two full weeks off for vacation per year. I know many people feel like they have too much work to do or can't afford to take the time off. Trust me, the work will still be there whether you take the time off or not.
2.
Find a Relaxing Hobby- Find a hobby totally unrelated to your job. Some
suggestions could be gardening, music, and art. Yoga and meditation are also
nice stress relievers. I personally like landscaping, comedy, and writing on
various topics.
3.
Team Building Activities- Team building
activities are also beneficial for managers looking to boost employee morale. A
day out of the office participating in a fun activity can provide a temporary
boost in employee satisfaction. Small tokens of appreciation can also
boost employee satisfaction. Although we don’t say it, human service
professionals like to feel appreciated. A simple “thank you” can go further than
you think. Team building is another technique that can recharge the battery.
4.
Develop New Skills- We all can tend to get stagnant in our current job
situation. Developing new skills or taking on different roles within the
organization can prevent burnout. Obtaining an advanced degree or an additional
certification can provide new opportunities and advancement in the field.
5. Rotation of Workload- Stressful
cases often lead to burnout in the human services field. I have seen some cases
that are so stressful that they are rotated to a new case manager every 6-12
months. Distributing difficult cases
evenly may also reduce burnout. Some staff may tend to get the most difficult cases
due to their expertise. However, there still needs to be balance and overloading one
person with more difficult cases will lead to quick burnout.
6. Take
Care of Yourself- Take the time to get regular medical checkups. I couldn’t tell
you how many times I’ve seen the stress of the job lead to health problems. It
has been proven that stress weakens the immune system and often leads to an increase in illnesses
such as colds, flu, high blood pressure, etc.
The phrase “take care of yourself
so you can take care of others” comes to mind when I think of burnout. We get
so caught up with making sure everyone else is ok that we forget about
ourselves. In addition to regular checkups, eating a healthier diet and getting
more exercise can also improve your
overall well-being.
7. Utilize
Company Resources- Many
companies offer Employee Assistance Programs (EAP)
to help employees with a variety of problems. They offer assistance for a
variety of issues that impact job performance and can help with services such
as counseling, substance abuse treatment, and stress management.
8. Transition- Sometimes switching jobs completely can prevent burnout.
High stress positions such as emergency services clinicians and crisis
counselors have an extremely high burnout rate. These positions also tend to
have a high level of liability. Transitioning to another counseling/human service position
with a less stressful environment can be just what the doctor ordered.
