NIH gave the grant to Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health researchers. The team will study ways to reduce burnout with the goal of keeping addiction treatment workers from leaving their jobs.
Harvard announced the project through its Center for Work Health and Well-being in late September. The researchers are looking at worker wellbeing as part of the larger picture of patient care.
The Re SHAPE Grant
The project is called Re SHAPE. Researchers will test different ways to help addiction treatment workers maintain their health and stay in their jobs.
That will include looking at things such as schedules, workload, supervision and support from the organization.
Hiring can be difficult for treatment programs. Keeping people can be just as hard. Therapists, nurse practitioners and support staff may deal with burnout along with relatively modest pay and the emotional weight that comes with addiction treatment.
A therapist leaving can interrupt a patient relationship that took time to build. Staffing problems can also mean longer waits for treatment. Some programs may have to cut back on services or keep beds closed.
Why Keeping Staff Matters
Someone looking for rehab usually doesn’t see any of this. They see that there is a waiting list. Or they find a program with an opening next month when they were hoping to get help this week. Staff shortages can be one reason those waits happen.
Workforce stability has been linked with better addiction treatment outcomes. That can matter in counseling especially. Patients often need time to build trust with the person treating them.
A patient might finally feel comfortable talking with a therapist and then learn that the therapist is leaving. Starting over with someone else can make an already difficult experience harder.
Re SHAPE is looking at the workplace itself. The idea is that keeping good staff may require more than simply trying to hire more people.
What Patients Can Expect
The research will take several years. It won’t make a treatment waitlist shorter this month. The findings could matter later.
If researchers find that certain workplace changes help reduce turnover treatment providers could use those findings when they work on hiring and retention. Better staffing could also make it easier for programs to keep services running and beds open.
There are things you can ask about when comparing drug rehab programs now. Ask how long counselors typically stay. You can also ask whether the clinical staff have the credentials needed for the treatment the program provides.
Finding a Treatment Program
Rehab.com lists residential and outpatient programs across the country. The site includes information about treatment approaches payment options and specialty services.
Call
800-985-8516
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to talk about treatment options and find a program with a qualified clinical team.
