Community social work in crisis management

Abstract

Communities have always had an essential role as actors in crises. They play an indispensable role in crisis preparedness. When crises occur, they hold a great deal of social capital, which is readily mobilised. Local participation in times of crisis not only helps in practice but also supports mental recovery when involvement in rebuilding the community becomes possible. Here, Community social work (CSW) provides practices for organising community assets and community development processes.

We need to better identify opportunities for community social work in crisis management processes and also understand limitations. Here, it is essential to add dialogue between crisis management authorities and social work professionals through multiprofessional leadership. In this article, we present a six-phase process for integrating social work into crisis management structures in a safe manner.

This article was produced as part of the Erasmus+ project “New Solutions in International Social Work - Promoting Inclusive Crisis Management”.