C0VID-19: Social Work Responds

The Search for Substance Abuse Recovery Amidst COVID-19   COVID-19 is a public health crisis affecting millions worldwide. What is interests me is delving deeper into COVID-19 and its effects and learning that a person does not have to suffer from the disease to be directly impacted by it. When looking at the Americans who, before COVID-19 started, were suffering from and being treated for a substance abuse illness, this notion comes to light. Not only that, but people who did not suffer from a substance abuse disorder before COVID-19, but then due to the stress, financial instability, or mental strain of this global pandemic, began using drugs or alcohol to cope with this, there is a huge increase in the population of people needing recovery services. The question is, which way does one turn to find recovery services?    The Health Risks    I am interested in this topic because I have personally been impacted by substance abuse, I lost a friend to addiction, I ...

      COVID19 has impacted everyone all around the world. The most vulnerable population who has been impacted financially is the low-income; Black and Hispanic families. “Job losses have left families struggling to pay for necessities like housing, food and medical care, while those who are still employed report difficulty finding childcare” (Jenco, 2020). Many of us know of someone who contracted the virus, others have loss family, or friends from the virus. Not only did families lost family or friends due to the virus but did you know the most vulnerable population has lost their job or work hours have been reduce due to COVID19? “That includes 62% of Hispanic families, 50% of black families and 36.5% of white families” (Jenco, 2020). According to a survey conducted, “One-quarter of families experienced food insecurity, including more than one-third of low-income, black and Hispanic families. Roughly 10.5% of all families were late with their rent or mortgage payment o...

  Addressing domestic violence is a complex endeavor for social workers and survivors. The collaborative relationship focuses on two things above all else: safety and empowerment through self-determination. Many times it seems these goals are at odds with each other. When survivors end relationships, persons harming them, often becomes more dangerous. When survivors remain, abuse usually worsens. Our responsibility as social workers is to create, maintain, advocate for, and make accessible the supports and resources survivors need to make their decisions. We stand with survivors and their families as they navigate extremely difficult times, weaving a net of support that strengthens and grows each year. Despite these efforts, when Covid-19 came, that net of support strained and tore just as many survivors needed it most. What is Domestic Violence? Domestic violence refers to the behavioral patterns employed by one person to maintain power and control over another person in an intima...

  Since COVID-19 arrived, have you been feeling an increase in anxiousness? Have you been feeling overwhelmed or tired? What about un-motivated? Angry? Sad? Even Lonely? If you agreed to any of the mentioned above, WELCOME TO MY WORLD. From the quarantine, not having enough toilet paper, and no movie theaters or concerts, COVID has definitely stirred up many unwanted emotions. As a grad student and future social worker, please join and follow along as I express some areas of concern with Mental Health and COVID-19. Mental Health Meter As someone who is able to openly talk about their own depression and anxiety, I noticed a change in myself and others around me. My mental health “meter” went down drastically since we went into quarantine. A lot has changed since COVID-19 was announced in March. Should we recap? Schools were closed down. An enormous amount of stores, restaurants, and bars were immediately closed. Online shopping went up. We all had to adjust wearing masks i...

  Whether you’re a parent struggling to help your children with online classes, a student struggling to keep up with the amount of assignments for school, or even an essential worker risking your life for the health of others, we are all struggling together. This pandemic has changed the way we live our lives and we are all just trying to survive. Although 2020 has been an absolute rollercoaster of wildfires, murder hornets, pandemic madness, and poor leadership in America, we are all on this rollercoaster together. It might be crazy but we have each other to look to when we just need to say “What the heck is going on?”. No matter who or what we are taking care of, the most important person to take care of is ourselves. This has never been a more important time to check in with our mental health and make sure that we are doing everything we can to stay sane. Self care and mindfulness are essential these days and I am here to help you navigate the process of finding your most peacef...