Homelessness: An evaluation of resident self-efficacy and worker burnout within county homeless shelters

The purpose of this mixed-methods, participatory research, study was to identify, demonstrate, and determine the relationship between worker burnout and client self-efficacy and to develop a model that mitigates worker burnout and enhances client self-efficacy expectations in order to improve performance outcomes. The study examined whether or not a relationship exists between the lack of participation, or engagement, of clients and how case workers experience burnout. In particular, the study explored feelings of burnout that staff identified and attributed to the lack of client compliance. The 18 participants in this study were caseworkers who work inside a county homeless shelter with an active caseload of homeless residents with program plans. The majority of the population met the criteria for overall burnout. The highest concentration of participants (38.8%) was recorded as experiencing a high rate of burnout. Approximately 28% of the population reported that they experience no/low rates of burnout. The remaining five respondents, or 27.8% of the population, did not meet the criteria for overall burnout. This study posits that burnout begins, and is maintained, by negative perceptions of organizational structure, job roles, and work experiences not caused by clients. Caseworkers attributed difficulty with job stress and low client program compliance to organizational conditions which limited or compromised resources. This study provides a means to understand differences in experiences of burnout since a large portion of the population experience burnout on a variety of different levels and dimensions. Different measures are encouraged which may offer valuable insights into the multi-leveled dimensions of burnout in homeless shelter case managers.