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EP79: How Can Social Workers Avoid Job Burnout?

NASW Social Work Talks Podcast

SaraKay Smullens, cover of Burnout and Self-Care in Social Work book

Exhausted. Stressed. Overwhelmed. Distraught. These words describe the state of mind of many social workers. The causes include: overwhelming caseloads, limited budgets, complex and divergent responsibilities, and secondary trauma, all against a background of political unrest, systemic racism, dysfunctional leadership, and a global pandemic. No wonder that many question whether they can survive in the profession.

Our guest SaraKay Smullens, MSW, LCSW, DCSW, CGP, CFLE, BCD, is a certified group psychotherapist and family life educator, and author of "Burnout and Self-Care in Social Work," available from NASW Press. She speaks about how social workers can prevent burnout at work and in their lives overall, even in the midst of a multitude of pressures.

Posted January 31, 2022