Reducing staff burnout and turnover intentions in juvenile justice residential commitment programs: The promise of trauma-informed care

Abstract

PurposeThis study investigates the relationship between perceptions of Trauma-Informed Care (TIC), burnout, and turnover intentions among juvenile justice staff members in residential commitment programs. MethodsDrawing data from a sample of Florida juvenile justice staff, a series of two-level mixed-effects linear regression models nesting staff survey responses (N = 1281) within residential program components (N = 58) regressed burnout and turnover intentions on five domains of organizational TIC—TIC Training, Trauma Screening and Procedures, Staff Safety, Attitudes Towards TIC, and TIC Complications and Barriers—and other confounding influences. Additional regression models utilizing the Karlson-Holm-Breen method consider the direct and indirect effects of TIC. ResultsThe results indicated that staff perceptions of key TIC domains, namely TIC Training and Trauma Screening and Procedures, and Staff Safety were predictive of burnout; however, the relationship between TIC measures and burnout was mediated by perceptions of Staff Safety. Additionally, staff turnover intentions were largely a function of staff perceptions of safety and burnout, with these factors again mediating the effect of TIC. ConclusionsTIC represents a popular service model for human service agencies working with trauma-exposed clients. This study is the first to assess how staff perceptions of organizational TIC impact burnout and turnover intentions in a juvenile justice setting. It suggests that aspects of organizational TIC have the potential to reduce burnout and increase employee retention by improving workplace physical and emotional safety.