Dr. Michael Clarkson-Hendrix
Associate Professor Michael Clarkson-Hendrix has authored an article that explores social worker burnout in a Veterans Affairs medical center.
“The Role of Effective Interprofessional Collaboration in Social Worker Burnout in a Northeastern Veterans Affairs Medical Center: Implications for Social Work Education” appears in the current issue of the Journal of Human Service Training, Research, and Practice.
The article, Dr. Clarkson-Hendrix explains, ties into SOCW 385: Social Work in Health Care, an elective course he teaches every year. Students in the course may benefit from learning about the connection between effective interprofessional collaborative practice and professional sustainability.
“Interprofessional collaborative practice has been incentivized by the Affordable Care Act, and its goal is to reduce healthcare gaps, particularly for populations that experience health disparities,” said Clarkson-Hendrix, a member of the Department of Sociocultural and Justice Sciences.
Although the article is focused on the social work profession, other health and human service professions may also benefit from the knowledge it presents, he added.
Data on burnout, effective interpersonal collaboration components and demographic characteristics were collected in a survey completed by 21 social workers. Overall, social workers reported moderately low burnout levels. An increase in collective ownership of goals resulted in lower burnout. Likewise, as reflection on interprofessional team processes increased, burnout also decreased.
