Volunteer Burnout and the Importance of Self-Care

Volunteer burnout (sometimes called vicarious trauma or compassion fatigue) can be a result of volunteers’ devotion to those they serve. The empathy that  draws us to the role of child advocate can be a double-edged sword. As you work with traumatized children, the complexities of their lives, their history and ongoing relationships can become burdensome. Although boundaries and the emotional component of being a CASA volunteer are covered in training, we often encounter unexpected upset that may not easily settle.

“We have not been directly exposed to the trauma scene, but we hear the story told with such intensity, or we hear similar stories so often, or we have the gift and curse of extreme empathy and we suffer. We feel the feelings of our clients. We experience their fears. We dream their dreams. Eventually, we lose a certain spark of optimism, humor and hope. We tire. We aren’t sick, but we aren’t ourselves.” – C. Figley, 1995

Signs of Volunteer Burnout and Self-Care Strategies

Burnout in one area of our lives can encroach on other areas. Self-awareness is key in self-care. It’s good practice to look for signs of burnout in ourselves and others so we can take early steps in self-care. Below are some common signs of volunteer burnout:

Feeling overwhelmed or worn out by your role;
Feelings like your efforts have no impact;
Becoming increasingly pessimistic or irritable;
Missing deadlines or appointments.

The common healthy strategies of self-care apply to volunteer burn out as well. First and foremost, refrain from judging this ‘fatigue’ as a sign of weakness, or that you’re just not cut out for this work. Reflect on the what’s happening in your life or in your volunteer work, in particular. Did something happen that was unexpected or especially difficult to handle? Are there increased responsibilities in other areas or your life?

Self-care techniques that include keeping a journal, meditation and long walks outdoors are always beneficial. Reach out sooner, rather than later, to any staff that supports your volunteer efforts to discuss the issues that concern you.

Finally, just remember that your volunteer work may come difficulties, but your committed acts of kindness and the positive changes that you have on another’s life will, in the end, far outweigh any challenges that you will face along the way.

 

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Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) for Children’s mission to speak on behalf of abused and neglected children is central to fulfilling society’s most fundamental obligation to protect a child’s right to be safe, treated with respect and to help them reach their fullest potential. For more information about CASA, visit AtlanticCapeCASA.org.

Summertime in Foster Care

Finally, the end of the school year, it’s summertime!

Childhood summers prompt memories of the beach, heading off to summer camp and playing outside with friends until dinner. Summer days should be for making lifelong, cherished memories.

When you live in foster care, however, just because the school year ends, does not mean that your life is any less upended or uncertain. Unfortunately, for children living in foster care, the normally carefree summer months can signal more uncertainty and despair.

The little things that make the end of the school year special – making plans with friends, signing yearbooks, and looking forward to family vacations – can be a source of increased anxiety and depression for youth living in foster care.

Changing of schools and homes happen frequently for foster youth, meaning many youth do not know if they will be living in the same home next month, let alone going to the same school the following September. Frequent moving also negatively influences educational achievement – on average every time a youth moves, they lose three to six months of academic progress, which further alienates them from their peers.

Foster youth may enter a new school mid-year, so they might not even be part of the yearbook, their picture missing from the smiling-faced rows of their classmates. Entering school late, changing schools or moving as much as foster youth do also hampers their ability to create bonds that lead to lasting friendships, especially when their classmates may already have deep friendship bonds from growing up together.

As for vacations or any activity that takes a foster youth out of their placement, approval from the courts must be sought. That means that for a foster youth to attend summer camp or visit a sibling, who lives in a different foster home in a different town, is at the mercy of a slow-moving court system that is buckling under the weight of too many children under their care. This process halts the freedom of planning trips or the ease of participating in activities that could a provide much-needed distraction for the youth.

These challenges can lead children and youth living in foster care to see the summer months as an extension of ambiguity, confusion and isolation, rather than as a time to enjoy.

For these reasons, we must continue to fight and advocate for all foster youth so that they realize a permanent home – reunited with their family, placed with relatives or adopted as quickly as possible – so they too can enjoy the lazy, sun-drenched days of summer and create their own lifelong summertime memories.

 

Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) for Children’s mission to speak on behalf of abused and neglected children is central to fulfilling society’s most fundamental obligation to protect a child’s right to be safe, treated with respect and to help them reach their fullest potential. For more information about CASA, visit AtlanticCapeCASA.org.