Care Coordinators in Integrated Care: Burnout Risk, Perceived Supports, and Job Satisfaction

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This study examined burnout risk and job satisfaction reported by care coordinators in three programs integrating physical and behavioral health care; it also assessed the relationship between job support and burnout and the organizational supports helpful to care coordinators. As part of an evaluation of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' Health Care Innovation Awards, the research team performed secondary data analysis of interviews conducted with staff (including care coordinators) in three integrated behavioral health models in 2014 and 2015 (n=88, n=69); focus groups with care coordinators in 2015 (n=3); and a survey of care coordinators in 2015 (n=231) that included the Maslach Burnout Inventory. Analysis of survey data completed in 2017 indicated that although care coordinators felt stressed, they also experienced high levels of job satisfaction, perceived job support, and personal accomplishment, and low levels of disconnection from participants; as a result, risk of burnout was low. Analyses of interview and focus group data identified factors that may have contributed to lowered risk, including (1) appropriate training, particularly on coordinator roles and participants' complex conditions and diverse needs; (2) supportive supervisors and managers; and (3) support from care team members and other coordinators. Results have implications regarding how organizations can support care coordinators to prevent burnout among these vital members of the integrated care workforce. This article is part of a supplement entitled The Behavioral Health Workforce: Planning, Practice, and Preparation, which is sponsored by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and the Health Resources and Services Administration of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.