Burnout and Wellness in Social Workers, Psychologists, and Counselors E174D

Course Summary

Practice Level: Intermediate

Behavioral health professionals often support people experiencing trauma, grief, crisis, and complex life challenges. This work can be meaningful, yet ongoing workload pressures, limited resources, unclear roles, and inadequate workplace support can affect clinicians’ well-being and their ability to provide care. This course is designed for social workers, counselors, psychologists, marriage and family therapists, and other behavioral health professionals, including supervisors and leaders. It examines how to recognize occupational burnout, distinguish it from related concerns, and respond to the conditions that contribute to it.

Learners will explore burnout signs and risk factors, secondary traumatic stress and vicarious trauma, and the appropriate use and limits of self-assessment tools. Through practice-focused cases, the course considers individual wellness strategies alongside supervisory and organizational responses, such as workload review, clearer role expectations, and dependable clinical support. Participants will leave better prepared to assess concerns, protect client care, support clinicians, and develop practical response plans that include appropriate referral, workplace supports, and personal wellness strategies.

Course Format

This course contains downloadable online lessons (PDF) and a practice test. When you’re ready, purchase the course by clicking the “Add To Cart” or “Enroll” button. This will let you take the test, complete the course evaluation and receive your certificate for CE credits.

Learning Objectives

1. Differentiate occupational burnout from secondary traumatic stress, vicarious trauma, and related mental health concerns.
2. Identify individual, supervisory, and organizational factors that contribute to burnout among behavioral health professionals.
3. Select an appropriate self-assessment tool within its stated purpose and limitations.
4. Apply supervisory and organizational strategies to a case involving impaired well-being or clinical functioning.
5. Develop a response plan that addresses immediate client-care needs, appropriate clinical support, workplace conditions, and a review process.

Course Syllabus

• Introduction and practice context
• Burnout signs and differential considerations
• Risk factors and workplace conditions
• Secondary traumatic stress and vicarious trauma
• Lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic
• Assessment and measurement
• Prevention at individual and organizational levels
• Clinical and reflective supervision
• Wellness planning and clinician-client care
• Summary and recommendations
• References

Author

Teresa Crowe, PhD, LICSW

Teresa Crowe, PhD, LICSW is a licensed clinical social worker in the District of Columbia and Maryland. She is a professor of social work at Gallaudet University and teaches practice, theory, and research in the MSW program. Her recent research focuses on deaf and hard of hearing populations, especially in the areas of behavioral health, intimate partner violence, telemental health, well-being, and help-seeking.

Accreditation Approval Statements

CE4Less.com is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. CE4Less.com maintains responsibility for this program and its content.

CE4Less.com, provider #1115, is approved as an ACE provider to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE provider approval period: 08/08/2024–08/08/2027. Social workers completing this course receive 3 general continuing education credits.

This course has been approved by CE4Less.com, as a NAADAC Approved Education Provider, for educational credits. NAADAC Provider #91345, CE4Less.com is responsible for all aspects of the programing.

Level Education Group, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed mental health counselors #MHC-0355.

Level Education Group, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers #SW-0835.

We are committed to providing our learners with unbiased information. CE4Less never accepts commercial support and our authors have no significant financial or other conflicts of interest pertaining to the material.