In honor of #mentalhealthawareness month, this episode of the Social Work Rants podcast focuses on workplace wellness and burnout in the social work field. Basiliso and Kelecia Smith, MSW, LMSW, discuss how current workplace well-being programs often fail to address the actual needs of workers, citing a Harvard Business Review article that noted mental health needs and burnout continue to rise despite corporate spending on wellness programs.

They explored the challenges of balancing caregiving responsibilities with work demands, particularly for the 63 million Americans who are caregivers. The conversation covered how administrative burdens, high client volumes, and inflexible work structures contribute to clinician burnout, with both participants sharing personal experiences of long commutes and unsustainable work schedules. They discussed the importance of organizations meeting workers where they are and involving staff in the development of well-being programs beyond surface-level initiatives like free coffee and happy hours.

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