Doing Shelter Support Work: on Burnout and Sustainability
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Authors
Dodd, Jacqualynn
Issue Date
2013-11-15
Type
Thesis
Language
en
Keywords
homeless shelters , homeless shelter staff
Alternative Title
Abstract
This work is a combination of research on the construct of job ‘burnout' as it has been established in the literature with the writer's lived experience of doing frontline shelter support work. I ask about and seek to contribute to the discussion on how frontline shelter support staff can sustain themselves in an organizational context, and where organizational responsibility lies in terms of sustaining frontline shelter staff. I suggest that the organizational development of communities of support among frontline staff and supervisory staff can create a shift in organizational culture, contributing to job satisfaction and increased employee well-being. This work could be of interest to shelter support workers, nonprofit organizations responsible for running shelters for individuals experiencing homelessness, and helping professionals who support frontline shelter support staff.