Recruiting, Selecting, and Retaining Direct Service Workers to Provide Self-Directed HCBS

Lesson Review

1. Listen

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A DSW and a person they support walking down a city street. The DSW has their arm around the person.

2. Read

In this lesson you learned about:

  • Understanding what stress and burnout are, and their signs and symptoms
  • Understanding responses to stress and the role of resilience

3. Scenario

Roberta’s DSW Aisha has been exhibiting signs of stress. Roberta is worried that she’ll quit.  She’s concerned about Aisha but doesn’t want to pry into her personal life.   If you were Roberta, what would you do?

What would you do?
An elderly Black woman. She is wearing glasses, a white t-shirt, and smiling.

Roberta decides that she shouldn't ask Aisha about what's causing her stress.  There must be something going on in her personal life.  Roberta doesn't want to be nosy.  Aisha is turning up for work late, calling in sick, and then quits with no notice.  Roberta wonders if there is something else she could have done.  She realized that ignoring problems doesn't fix them.

Roberta decides that she should talk to Aisha.  She tells Aisha that she is concerned about her because her work performance has slipped.  She is coming in late or not coming in at all, and when she is at work, she seems distracted.  Roberta asks if there is anything about her job that is causing her stress.