Monday, September 23rd - 1pm-2pm EST
1 CE for APA & NBCC
Title:
Playing with Fire: Ethical Considerations of Burnout in Pre-licensed Mental Health Providers
Presenters:
Kristin Wills, M.A., LPC, NCC: Kristin Wills (she/her/hers) is a Licensed Professional Counselor registered with the Louisiana LPC Board of Examiners. Before earning her Master of Arts in Counseling, Kristin received both a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and a Bachelor of Science in Management from McNeese State University. Kristin currently works at McNeese State University’s Counseling Center and serves as Chair of ACCA’s Social Media Committee.
Kriti Vashisht, Ph.D.: Dr. Kriti Vashisht is an Assistant Professor at the University of Texas – Rio Grande Valley in the School of Social Work. Her research primarily focuses on the theoretical foundations of social and political ontology and their implications for human rights, transformative/translational research paradigms, and sustainable community practices. She emphasizes the crucial role of mental health in the global development agenda, especially concerning migration, climate change, and sexual and reproductive justice. Currently, her projects include investigating gaps in critical pedagogy and qualitative research due to evolving social contexts, creating a digital story addressing mental health stigma, and finding sustainable methods for involving communities in research and practice.
Abstract:
Balancing ethical dilemmas, clinical demands, and personal well-being is a known challenge for pre-licensed mental health providers. Over time, these pressures reach a tipping point and, if unaddressed, can result in burnout. Burnout is increasingly identified as a barrier to maintaining personal wellness and professional competence; however, current discussions confine burnout to the individual. Using a multi-level perspective, we will review burnout as an ethical imperative for both pre-licensed mental health providers and mental health-related educators/supervisors, and we will explore the challenges and possible solutions for maintaining wellness.
Learning Objectives:
1. Explore the ethical responsibility of maintaining professional competence and mitigating burnout
2. Discuss the importance of addressing wellness in both clinical training programs and the supervision process
3. Understand the ethical implications of micro, meso, and macro level challenges for pre-licensed mental health providers
