Compassion Fatigue as an Ethical Threat to Practice: Supervisor and Agency Responsibilities in Preventing Worker Burnout

Abstract

Social workers are at risk of developing compassion fatigue and burnout due to their professional responsibilities. Recently, the NASW has incorporated self-care as an ethical requirement for our profession placing even more emphasis on social workers to care take of themselves as well as care for their clients. However, what are the ethical responsibilities of the employment agencies in the prevention of compassion fatigue and burnout in the social work profession? This article will explore compassion fatigue and burnout as an ethical dilemma and the subsequent responsibilities employers bear in preventing burned out in the employee pool in order to avoid unintentional harm to clients.