Tried and true advice for addressing burnout among Free Clinic and Charitable Pharmacy staff and volunteers.
Burnout. Such a strong word for daily frustrations that accumulate and leave us with a sense of inefficacy. Burnout affects not only paid staff but volunteers in Free and Charitable Clinics and other safety net healthcare organizations. There is a stereotype that because these individuals "love what they do" and are strongly motivated by the mission that they show up every day with a smile on their face. However, burnout is not a reflection of a person's commitment to the mission, the organization, or the people they are helping. In fact, excessive workloads, limited resources, and complex high-need populations are common to Free and Charitable Clinic and Pharmacy workers, and can place them at risk of burnout. However, there are many ways that Free and Charitable Clinic and Pharmacy staff, volunteers, and board members can address burnout on their teams. We suggest 5 tips based on our conversations with safety net healthcare organizations.
Tip #1 - Learn the signs of distress, mental health challenges, and burnout in yourself and your team members.
Widely recognized signs of burnout include
1) Low physical and emotional energy, or a gradual decline in these. Workers have difficulty being emotionally available to their patients and co-workers.
2) Depersonalization, or decreased empathy or interest in patients or co-workers beyond the formal interaction. This may come across as difficulty sharing joy, excitement, concern, or sadness at moments where they would be expected.
3) Lack of efficacy, or concern that the work isn't achieving its goals. Feeling like the need will never be met, blaming patients for their health problems, or complaining that partners or other collaborators are not following through can be signs of burnout.
Tip #2 - Promote dialogue about mental and emotional health within the team.
Provide just a few minutes in staff meetings to acknowledge that mental and emotional wellbeing of the team is important and that it is okay to discuss these topics at work. Set the tone for meetings with "working agreements" or other tools that emphasize the importance of confidentiality and trust among team members. Identify staff members, volunteers, or board members who can provide "safe spaces" for conversations about burnout with individual team members.
Tip #3 - Create check-ins with your team.
Use your "safe spaces" leaders to conduct periodic brief "check-ins" with team members regarding their working conditions and support needed. These "safe spaces" leaders should be good listeners, should maintain confidentiality, and should be familiar with the resources available for staff and volunteers in your organization and within the community.
Tip #4 - Post resource lists in the break room or staff restroom.
Identify 2 or 3 resources that are most relevant for your staff or volunteers to use to prevent crises. Signage and graphics for national resources, such as the 9-8-8 suicide prevention and crisis intervention line, can readily be accessed online and printed for your convenience.
Tip #5 - Add healthcare workforce resiliency into your strategic plan.
What gets written down gets done. By prioritizing mental and emotional resiliency of the clinic or pharmacy team in the strategic plan, it will be easier to justify resources and policies that support this.
Our favorite resources for immediate 24/7 support:
9-8-8 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline:
Call or text 988
Chat with a trained crisis counselor at 988lifeline.org
Crisis Text Line
Text 'HOME' to 741741
Send message on Whatsapp (must download the WhatsApp app)
Need help with addressing burnout with your team? Contact MaryCatherine Jones Consulting for assistance, mc@mcjonesconsulting.com, or schedule an appointment with us.
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