Burnout is a condition that at times claims the joy, zeal, and passion of many care providers.
In an environment that is constantly faced with the parts of humanity that most people choose to ignore: homelessness, mental illness, substance abuse,and intoxication. It can be easy for individuals at the Mission to get overwhelmed with the inequities of this world and ultimately burnout.
There is no greater potential for this to take place than one of our frontline ministries. The “Resource Advocacy Program” (RAP) is where the forgotten and invisible people of our community find care, services, and love. Upon one glimpse of this environment one would think that the staff and personnel needs to be thick-skinned and detached as to not succumb to the trials of the individuals they provide care for. Yet if you were to come to the Mission and get to know the individuals serving in RAP you would see passion, compassion, and a desire to serve the forgotten members of our community. Conversely the RAP staff is cunning and wise: they know when to put applicable boundaries with stern love.
Upon watching the RAP team at work you have to ask the question, “Why are these individuals so alive and happy about life?” They see the worst humanity has to offer on a hourly basis, yet they keep serving and keep loving.
But as you observe the team, you notice a skill that once graced our culture, yet recently has been sacrificed by the “need” for efficiency and progress. The skill is knowing how to celebrate the small stuff.
If a RAP counselor were to wait for an individual that they are working with to find complete sobriety, get off the streets, and reconcile the relationships with their family. That counselor would have very little to look forward too. Consider the average case load of the RAP counselor is rising do to an increase in poverty and homelessness in our region, and you can imagine that one would need to learn what it means to celebrate the small stuff. If a client relapses and falls out of rehab yet they come back to you for help once again you could easily see that your work may not have much of an effect. However, you could look at the situation and celebrate the fact that they indeed came back even though you have to start over with them they still came back.
How many times in life have we been frustrated and defeated when we did not have to be because we chose not to celebrate the small stuff?
