Congratulations to Tenisha Neil-Robinson who on Tuesday, April 8, 2025, successfully defended her dissertation. The title of Tenisha’s dissertation is: "A QUALITATIVE STUDY OF BURNOUT EXPERIENCES AMONG SCHOOL SOCIAL WORKERS."
Drawing on Maslach’s theory of burnout, Tenisha's qualitative study sought to understand the stressors that contribute to school social workers’ feelings of burnout and their perspectives on effective strategies for the reduction of those stressors. Tenisha conducted interviews with 17 participants from states along the east coast, then analyzing the transcript data from the semi-structured interviews. Analysis revealed six themes: (a) “Running on Empty”: Physical and Exhaustion; (b) “Leaving Work at Work”: Work–Life Balance; (c) “I’m Alone, Working in a Silo”: Isolation; (d) As Long As I’m Moving, I’m Good”: Self-Care; (e) “Leveling Voices”: Therapy, Supervision, and Peer Debriefing; and (f) “They Don’t Understand”: Role Confusion. By understanding specific stressors—such as inadequate professional development and limited workplace resources—the research illuminated critical areas for intervention, including systemic support. The insights gained contribute to developing targeted strategies to mitigate burnout, inform policy, and enhance the well-being and effectiveness among school social workers.
DISSERTATION COMMITTEE CHAIR(S):
Dr. Susan Iverson
DISSERTATION COMMITTEE MEMBER(S):
Dr. Kenneth Mitchell
Dr. Emily Murphy
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