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DSW Showcase Student Presentation

Vanessa Cervantes

LCSW

Feeling the Burn(out): Examining Burnout in Correctional and Forensic Settings

Concentration -

  • Monday, April 28, 2025 -
  • 1:00 pm
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Abstract

This presentation will delve into the phenomenon of burnout experienced in the workplace, specifically professionals who work in correctional and forensic settings that interact directly with inmate-patients. The presentation presents research that examines burnout among staff in correctional and forensic settings. The presentation focuses on three projects that include a systematic literature review, a conceptual framework for examining burnout, and an application paper with a plan to expand the current wellness initiatives in place. The systematic literature review section aims to investigate the causes of burnout among correctional professionals and determine if workload plays a role. The conceptual paper uses a comprehensive literature review that proposes a clinical framework to address burnout among correctional staff using systems theory and Cox’s Stress Model. The application paper reviews literature showing that burnout is common in correctional and forensic settings and discusses how clinical interventions effectively mitigate it. Most importantly, it calls for reevaluating the disbursement of wellness services.

Biography

Vanessa Marie Cervantes is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in California. She double majored in criminal justice and psychology at San Diego State University as an undergraduate. She then earned her Master of Social Work degree from Arizona State University. Vanessa has worked in various settings, including public elementary schools, county mental health, child welfare, public hospitals, non-profit organizations, and the Department of Corrections' mental health and substance use programs.
Currently, Vanessa serves as a clinical social worker at the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, where she conducts assessments and provides individual therapy in the Integrated Substance Use Disorder Treatment (ISUDT) program for the incarcerated population throughout California. In addition to providing services to incarcerated individuals, she also assists in onboarding new staff and is a mentor to unlicensed social workers within the program. Additionally, Vanessa works as a medical social worker at a rural public hospital, where she is involved in case management and discharge planning to ensure continuity of patient care.
Vanessa chose to pursue her doctoral degree in Clinical Social Work at the University of Kentucky to broaden her knowledge and professional network. Her research examines burnout among staff in correctional and forensic settings. Her work includes a systematic literature review, a conceptual framework for examining burnout, and a plan to expand the current Wellness Toolkit for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. As a doctoral candidate, she plans to present her research in April of 2025, with a projected graduation date of May 2025.