March is Social Work Month and this year's theme is "Social Workers Are Essential".
This past year has been a once in a life time experience. It has shown the importance of taking care of our mental health and the impact that physical distancing, racial unrest and basic needs have on our mental health.
From changes in how we interact with other people, how we shop, what we wear to the fear of contracting an illness we don't fully understand, we have all be under a tremendous amount of stress/ trauma. When students returned to school and adults returned to work it was not the same as the schools and work environments we left. Many of us miss normalcy and being able to be affectionate with those we care about.
When the winter storms hit Texas and Oklahoma many were without power, internet, and water. Not only were there deaths and physical discomfort but we also lost our remaining mode of connection and communication, even if for a short period of time. Many experienced a need that they were not familiar with. Others experienced an exacerbation of already difficult financial times.
As a social worker/mental health professional the one thing that has been prominent during these unprecedented times is the increase asks from the community. The public became aware of the amazing work that teachers do and how integral nurse, doctors and other medical professionals are in the past year. One group that has often been left out of this conversation is social workers. In our work locations many of us are being asked to take on additional duties or tasks because it is such a hard time for all. We did not receive additional time in the day or additional time to handle our own responses to these unprecedented times.
We know that rates of abuse/neglect have increased as families spend more time at home without the ability to leave (1). We also know that more people are in need of mental health support (2). Many are without work, working less hours and having other financial crises (3). All of these things fall to a social worker or social services agency to handle.
This Social Work Month, how can you support the essential work that social workers do? How can you lift the burden for a social worker in your life?
1. Intimate Partner Violence and Child Abuse Considerations During COVID-19
https://www.samhsa.gov/sites/default/files/social-distancing-domestic-violence.pdf
2. The coronavirus (COVID‐19) pandemic's impact on mental health
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7361582/
3. Unemployment Rates During the COVID-19 Pandemic: In Brief
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