Preventing burnout, compassion fatigue, and vicarious trauma in child welfare social workers using emotional support and reflective supervision: A grant proposal

Social workers in child welfare often experience burnout, compassion fatigue and vicarious trauma. These conditions negatively impact social workers as well as children and families by impeding social workers' practice and hindering social workers' intervention skills. Reflective supervision is an effective strategy that researchers suggest as a prevention or remedy for burnout, compassion fatigue and vicarious trauma. The purpose of this project was to identify a funding source and write a grant proposal for an emotional support pilot program that will offer emotional support to CSWs of the South County office of the Department of Children and Family Services of Los Angeles County. The goals of the pilot program are to reduce stress levels for Emergency Response workers and improve the service provided to children and families in crisis. The actual submission and/or funding of this grant was not a requirement for the successful completion of this project.