Occupational Hazard: Secondary Traumatic Stress and Burnout among Direct Support Professionals Workforce

Overview: Direct support professionals (DSPs) are essential in the continuum of care for individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (IDD). However, they experience poor working conditions and occupational hazards such as burnout and secondary traumatic stress (STS). This presentation makes a rallying call for social and economic justice for this workforce.Proposal text: Direct support professionals (DSPs) are often the primary source of support for IDD individuals and their quality of life and a valuable resource to organizations that provide services to the IDD population (Houseworth et al., 2020; Keesler, 2020). The range of support they provide spans from ensuring individuals’ basic health, safety, and welfare needs; supporting the development of independent living skills; and supporting in-community integration and relationship-building goals (Keesler, 2020). Existing literature indicates that both the workload and demand for DSPs have increased over the years while many continue to experience poor working conditions which include receipt of low wages, limited benefits, and stressful working conditions which can keep these workers trapped in a cycle of poverty with limited employment alternatives (PCPID, 2017).
In addition to the working conditions, this presentation would present the results from a study that examined the prevalence and predictors of burnout and STS among DSPs and their emotional and material impact on their wellbeing. This cross-sectional design used a convenience sampling method to recruit DSPs from 21 state-licensed community-based agencies serving individuals with IDD. The results from 406 participants explored how exposure to exposure to client trauma, exposure to frequency of client challenging (aggressive) behavior, and workers’ own trauma history served as risk factors, whereas personal resilience and organizational support were protective factors in predicting burnout STS among DSPs. The presenter would lead a discussion on the relationship between occupational hazards and workers, overall health, life satisfaction, work satisfaction, intent to quit their job, and perception of client’s success. The presenters would make a case for social workers to strengthen their coalition with this workforce in the fight for social and economic justice.