C5 - Avoiding Burnout and Compassion Fatigue: How Self-Care among Substance Use Professionals Enhances Patient Care

Wednesday, November 2, 2022

1:30 PM – 3:00 PM

Location: Johnson A-B, Level 1

CE: 1.5

Primary Presenter(s)

Maureen O'Neill Biggs, LPC,LADC

Special Projects Program Director
CT Counseling Centers Inc.
Wallingford, Connecticut

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Co-Presenter(s)

Alan L. Nolan, LCSW

Director of Clinical Operation
Connecticut Counseling Centers, Inc.
Plainville, Connecticut

Learning Objectives:

At the completion of this activity, participants will:

Define the terms vicarious trauma, burnout and compassion fatigue and the impact on patient care.
Recognize the early warning signs of stress-related compassion fatigue.
Identify methods of self-care and strategies to prevent burnout.

Presentation Summary: Working in the field of behavioral health can be affected by stress and compassion fatigue. This is true for those professionals who specialize in the treatment of addiction. With the escalation of the opioid epidemic and the uncertainty of resources for medication assisted treatment, caregivers often neglect their own needs and have difficulty coping with stressors resulting from the multiple demands that are specific to treating patients. Stress unaddressed interferes with treatment provision, quality care and can negatively impact quality of the therapeutic relationship. This presentation offers guidance for clinicians to recognize the warning signs of stress related compassion fatigue.