The New Social Worker Vol. 19, No. 4, Fall 2012 | Page 8

Field Placement

What I Wish I Had Known: Burnout and
Self-Care in Our Social Work Profession
by SaraKay Smullens, MSW, LCSW, CGP, CFLE, BCD
Editor’s Note: Although burnout, compassion
fatigue, and vicarious trauma can occur at
any level of practice, it is especially relevant to
learn about them in preparation for one’s first
experience in the field—otherwise known as
field placement!

T

he training to become a social
worker is arduous, demanding,
and complex. My concentration
was clinica ??????????????????????)????????????????????????)???????$????????????????????)???????????????????????????????)?????????????????????????????)????????????????????????????)?????????????????????????????????????)???????????????????????????????)???????????????????????($)M????????????$??????????????)?????Q???????????????????????)???????????????????????????)???????????????????????????)?????????????????????????????)??????????????????????????????????((?()Q???9??M??????]????()???????????????????????????)????????????????????????????)???]?????????????????????????)???????????????????$??????????????)?????????????????????????????????)????????????????????????????)?????????????????????????????????)????????????????????????????)????????????????????????????????????)?????????qQ????????????????$??????)???????t?!??????$??????????????????????$???????!?????????????????)?????????????????????????????????????)????????????????????????????????)????????????????????????????????)???????????????q??????t???????????????Q?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????)????????????????????q?????????t)]???$?????????????????????????)????????????????????????????????)????????????????????????????????????)??????????????????????????]??)????????????$???????????????????????????$????$????????????????q????()????????()???t??????q????????t?????????????????)???????????????????????????????)?????()Q???A????????? ?????($+?q ?????t??????????????????????)??????????????????????????????)?????????????????????????????)??????????q??????????t????????)??????????????????????????)?????????????????????????????????)???????????????????????????????q??)??????????????a??????d???????????t??)??????????????????????????????????)????????????????????????????)???????????????????????????????)??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????)??????????????????????????????)????????????????????????????)??????????????????????????)????????????????????????????????)???????????????????????((