ERIC Number: EJ1382468
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2023-Jul
Pages: 9
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1532-8759
EISSN: EISSN-1545-682X
Available Date: N/A
"Overworked and Stretched Thin": Burnout and Systemic Failure in School Social Work
Carnes, Stephanie L.
Children & Schools, v45 n3 p151-159 Jul 2023
The effects of burnout on client service provision, organizational health, and individual well-being are increasingly a focus of social work research, particularly against the societal backdrop of the post-COVID-19 era. Children and their families rely on school social workers (SSWs) to meet increasingly pressing and common mental health needs. However, burnout may jeopardize not only SSWs' well-being, but also their collective ability to serve this vulnerable population. The current study captures SSW perspectives on burnout related to the following themes: SSW-administrator dynamics; role conflict and lack of role definition; presence of trauma in caseload; systemic challenges (including the subthemes of unrealistic workload, the desire for more interprofessional collaboration and social work-specific supervision, and limited resources); and the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Using these perspectives as a guide, policy recommendations are made to enhance interprofessional collaboration, clarify roles and responsibilities, and safeguard SSWs as "first responders" for children's mental health.
Descriptors: Burnout, School Social Workers, Well Being, Attitudes, Interpersonal Relationship, School Administration, Role Conflict, Trauma, Barriers, Responsibility, Resources, COVID-19, Pandemics
Oxford University Press. Great Clarendon Street, Oxford, OX2 6DP, UK. Tel: +44-1865-353907; Fax: +44-1865-353485; e-mail: jnls.cust.serv@oxfordjournals.org; Web site: http://cs.oxfordjournals.org
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A