Race and COVID-19 among Social Workers in Health Settings: Physical, Mental Health, Personal Protective Equipment, and Financial Stressors.

Social work is an essential workforce integral to the United States' public health infrastructure and response to COVID-19. To understand stressors among frontline social workers during COVID-19, a cross-sectional study of U.S-based social workers (N = 1,407) in health settings was collected (in June through August 2020). Differences in outcome domains (health, mental health, personal protective equipment [PPE] access, financial stress) were examined by workers' demographics and setting. Ordinal logistic, multinomial, and linear regressions were conducted. Participants reported moderate or severe physical (57.3 percent) and mental (58.3 percent) health concerns; 39.3 percent expressed PPE access concerns. Social workers of color were more likely to report significantly higher levels of concern across all domains. Those identifying as Black, American Indian/Alaska Native (AIAN), Asian American/Pacific Islander (AAPI), multiracial, or Hispanic/Latinx were over 50 percent more likely to experience either moderate or severe physical health concerns, 60 percent more likely to report severe mental health concerns, and over 30 percent more likely to report moderate PPE access concerns. The linear regression model was significantly associated with higher levels of financial stress for social workers of color. COVID-19 has exposed racial and social injustices that that hold true for social workers in health settings. Improved social systems are critical not just for those impacted by COVID-19, but also for the protection and sustainability of the current and future workforce responding to COVID-19.

"A breath of fresh air": mindfulness training for early-career mental health social workers in Israel during COVID-19.

The present study examined the effectiveness of participation in a mindfulness group for Israeli early career social workers during the COVID-19 period. Eleven participants conducting fieldwork in a mental health rehabilitation center were interviewed. The participants described a variety of benefits from their mindfulness training, in three main areas: (1) Personal: applying mindfulness in their daily life; (2) Family: improved work-life balance and family relationships; and (3) Professional: applying mindfulness in their work with mental health clients. Mental support and self-care tools provided to early-career social workers were perceived by the participants as helping them overcome uncertainty, fatigue, and overwork.

Resilience, perceived social support and professional quality of life among medical social workers during COVID-19 pandemic in Mainland China: A cross-sectional survey.

As COVID-19 rapidly overwhelmed the world in 2020, medical social workers have fought against the disease on the front lines as a member of medical teams, but little is known about the impact of the pandemic on their mental health. This study investigated the resilience, perceived social support and professional quality of life of medical social workers in Mainland China under the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic. An online questionnaire survey was applied to 319 respondents and the results showed that informal support was positively related with compassion satisfaction (r = 0.67, p < .01) and negatively correlated with job burnout (r = -0.51, p < .01) while formal support was positively associated with compassion satisfaction (r = 0.61, p < .01) and negatively associated with job burnout (r = -0.44. p < .01). Resilience was positively correlated with compassion satisfaction (r = 0.56, p < .01) and negatively correlated with job burnout (r = -0.49, p < .01). Nevertheless, neither perceived social support nor resilience was associated with secondary traumatic stress. The regression results further highlighted the role of informal social support on job burnout. Measures should be taken to enhance the professional quality of life for medical social workers during a public health crisis .

COVID 19 pandemic: Impact of changes experienced on social workers' professional quality of life in Singapore.

COVID-19 has impacted all spheres of life massively. Among the emerging studies on the psychosocial impact of the pandemic, few studies look specifically at how social workers are impacted. To understand this gap, this study surveyed 337 social workers. The findings showed that changes experienced in the workplace were enormous and caused secondary traumatic stress while engendering compassion satisfaction among social workers, but the presence of social support moderated to keep the secondary traumatic stress at bay. Resilience mediated association between social and workplace support and compassion fatigue. Social support seemed to have the largest effect on reducing stress through resilience. Workplace support also helped mitigate burnout. In conclusion, continued social and workplace support will be key to supporting social workers during a pandemic.

Perception of Social Workers on the Psychosocial Issues of End-Stage Renal Disease Patients during COVID-19: A Qualitative Study.

The COVID-19 pandemic has a significant impact on the routine care of patients with chronic illnesses. Patients with existing conditions such as diabetes, and cardiovascular disease are more susceptible to COVID-19 and are likely to experience more severe illnesses. COVID-19 infection leads to adverse clinical outcomes, more severe disease, higher mortality, and poor prognosis in patients with chronic kidney disease. The patient and caregiver would be in extreme distress with the fear of getting infected from the frequent exposure. The present study attempts to explore the perception of social workers on the psychosocial issues of persons with End-Stage Renal Disease during the COVID-19 pandemic period by using social cognitive theory and the social-ecological model as theoretical frameworks. Our study followed a qualitative design that employed a thematic analysis approach. We conducted in-depth telephonic interviews with six social workers in the nephrology setting. Three theme categories emerged as per data analysis. The first was the social worker's perception of psychosocial issues of patients with End-Stage Renal Disease. The second theme was related to the emerging role of the social worker and the skills acquired during this period and the third theme was the challenges experienced and the resilience of social workers in the nephrology setting. The study shows that patients are in extreme distress as they are more vulnerable to COVID-19 infection and it also highlighted the significance of social work practice in the nephrology setting.

COVID-19 vaccine uptake and hesitancy opinions from frontline health care and social care workers: Survey data from 37 countries.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Vaccine hesitancy is an ongoing major challenge. We aimed to assess the uptake and hesitancy of the COVID-19 vaccination. METHODS: A short online survey was posted between April 12 to July 31, 2021 targeted at health and social care workers (HCWs) across the globe. RESULTS: 275 from 37 countries responded. Most were hospital or primary care physicians or nurses, 59% women, aged 18-60 years, and 21% had chronic conditions with most prevalent being diabetes, hypertension, and asthma. We found that most HCWs (93%) had taken or willing to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. While 7% were vaccine hesitant (mainly women aged 30-39 years), respondents main concerns was the safety or potential side effects. Vaccine willing respondents raised concerns of unequal access to the COVID-19 vaccination in some countries, and highlighted that the only solution to overcoming COVID-19 infections was the vaccine booster doses given annually and free mass vaccination. CONCLUSIONS: This study found that the majority of the frontline HCWs are willing to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Further promotion of the COVID-19 vaccine would reassure and persuade HCWs to become vaccinated.

Planning and Implementing the Protocol for Psychosocial Interventions by Social Workers in Iranian Healthcare Centers against COVID-19.

The present study aims to plan the protocol for providing psychosocial support by social workers in Iranian healthcare centers and reaching consensus in terms of implementing and offering comprehensive service to individuals dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. This qualitative study consists of four phases. The first phase, the literature review involved studying valid databases, while the second and third phases consisted of collecting data through the Focus Group Discussions with 23 specialists and experts in the field of social work and mental health. Having been designed, the protocol was then applied and assessed for two months in all the state health centers around Iran (633 hospitals). In the present study, Interventions used by the social workers were divided into 9 types: psychosocial assessment, counseling, training, working with the family, intervention in the crisis, intra- and extra-organizational support-seeking, referral and safe discharge. Interventions used by social workers were also divided based on the health center (psychosocial support for the target groups and bereavement intervention for the survivors) and the services offered in convalescent care facilities. This protocol leading social workers into the fields of bereavement interventions, inter-organizational interventions, working with families and working with the medical staff.

What support do frontline workers want? A qualitative study of health and social care workers' experiences and views of psychosocial support during the COVID-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has placed a significant burden on the mental health and wellbeing of frontline health and social care workers. The need to support frontline staff has been recognised. However, there is to date little research specifically on how best to support the mental health needs of frontline workers, and none on their own experiences and views about what might be most helpful. AIMS: We set out to redress this research gap by qualitatively exploring UK frontline health and social care workers' own experiences and views of psychosocial support during the pandemic. METHOD: Frontline health and social care workers were recruited purposively through social media and by snowball sampling via healthcare colleagues. Workers who volunteered to take part in the study were interviewed remotely following a semi-structured interview guide. Transcripts of the interviews were analysed by the research team following the principles of Reflexive Thematic Analysis. RESULTS: We conducted 25 interviews with frontline workers from a variety of professional groups working in health and social care settings across the UK. Themes derived from our analysis showed that workers' experiences and views about psychosocial support were complex. Peer support was many workers' first line of support but could also be experienced as a burden. Workers were ambivalent about support shown by organisations, media and the public. Whilst workers valued psychological support services, there were many disparities in provision and barriers to access. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study show that frontline health and social care workers are likely to need a flexible system of support including peer, organisational and professional support. More research is needed to fully unpack the structural, systemic and individual barriers to accessing psychosocial support. Greater collaboration, consultation and co-production of support services and their evaluation is warranted.

Community social workers' perspectives on the challenges and opportunities presented by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic has required public social services departments to cope with an unexpected and unprecedented emergency situation. As community social workers work on the macrolevel and deal with entire communities in emergency situations, the present study investigated the challenges they face as well as the factors that promoted they are coping during the "age of COVID." Drawing on in-depth interviews with 20 managers of community social work departments in Israel, findings highlighted three main themes: (a) organizational politics, which impeded community social workers' work; (b) the mobilization of both professional community social work staff as well as civilians; and (c) the perception of the crisis as an opportunity. Findings pointed to the challenges, promotive factors, and perceptions of community social workers in public social services departments who have had to cope with the pandemic. We discuss these findings in light of the theoretical perspectives of "the politics of pandemic" pandemic, social support, and resilience. Implications for community practice are outlined. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Designing and Implementing a COVID Language Resource Guide as a Response to an Acute Need.

The rise of COVID-19 in March, 2020 led to an urgent and acute need for communication guidelines to help clinicians facing a novel disease, amidst a cacophony of voices and demands, find the words to use in the face of this public health emergency. We identified critical topics that arose at the interface of staff, patient and family to guide the structure and content of a guideline. Organized in an easy to read table, the guide was made available to a wide variety of websites, organizations and schools as a free PDF resource across the country and beyond.

The Influence of Cognitive Heuristics and Biases on Palliative Social Workers' Support of Patient and Caregiver Decision Making: The Pulse Oximeter Buying Trend during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

A phenomenon occurring early in the pandemic involving media-based recommendations of pulse oximeters, devices purported to detect a dangerous Covid-19 symptom, invites attention to effects of decision-making shortcuts, or cognitive heuristics, and associated cognitive biases or errors, on patient/caregiver healthcare decisions. Heuristics also affect palliative/medical social workers' recommendations to patients/caregivers. This article looks at availability, confirmation, affect, false consensus and framing biases, and suggestions for debiasing decision making. Implications for other healthcare decisions are considered.

The impact of COVID-19 on the professional and personal lives of pediatric oncology social workers.

PURPOSE: Describe the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the work structure, daily care provided, personal lives, and practice models for pediatric oncology social workers (POSW). RESEARCH APPROACH: Cross-sectional online survey on APOSW professional listserv from 10/5/2020 to 11/20/2020. SAMPLE: 101 surveys were completed by POSW from 31 states and the District of Columbia. METHODS: Data were summarized descriptively and with semantic content analyses. FINDINGS: Surveys were completed by social workers from diverse work settings. Seventy-five percent of social workers were deemed "essential," and 45% reported working primarily from home. Most (56%) adopted a form of telehealth for patient care, although 71% did not receive telehealth training and 87% perceived lesser quality of care with telehealth. Nearly 80% of respondents reported not being able to provide optimum psychosocial care. Notable stressors on social work practice included worry about exposure to COVID-19, limited resources, lack of contact with and increased emotional needs of patients and families, managing patient and family concerns about COVID-19, and isolation from colleagues. Inequity and social justice issues were identified. Despite challenges, over 60% of POSW endorsed positive changes to their work life resulting from the pandemic. CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION: As the COVID-19 pandemic persists, POSW have adapted to a changing work environment, different modes of service provision, and stark health inequities to meet the needs of patients and families in a crisis. IMPLICATIONS FOR PSYCHOSOCIAL PROVIDERS: COVID-19 vastly impacted the personal and professional lives of POSW, warranting attentiveness to lessons learned and future directions.

International Collaboration in the Time of COVID-19: The World Hospice and Palliative Care Social Work Network.

In the context of widespread loss, isolation, and grief due to COVID-19, palliative social workers came together in the fall of 2020 to form an international group named the World Hospice and Palliative Care Social Work Network (WHPCSW). This emerging global network is committed to amplifying the innovative work, nuanced skills, research, and education and training provided by palliative social workers across different settings around the world. This article highlights some of the novel interventions developed by social workers in response to the pandemic and describes this coalescing WHPCSW network along with information about its mission and membership.

Health and social impacts of California wildfires and the deficiencies in current recovery resources: An exploratory qualitative study of systems-level issues.

BACKGROUND: Wildfires in California have become more deadly and destructive in recent years, and four of the ten most destructive fires occurred in 2017 and 2018. Through interviews with service providers, this article explores how these recent wildfires have impacted surrounding communities and the role various recovery resources have played in responding to the short- and long-term health and social needs of survivors. METHODS: Using a purposive sampling methodology, we interviewed 21 health and social service personnel who assisted in wildfire recovery efforts in California in 2017 and 2018. The study participants worked or volunteered in medical facilities, social services agencies and philanthropy/nonprofit organizations located in communities affected by wildfires. Participants were asked about three common, overarching themes that fire-impacted communities navigate post-disaster: health issues, social issues, and response and recovery resources. Inductive coding was used to identify common subthemes. RESULTS: The two most frequently discussed social issues during interviews were housing and employment access. Mental and emotional well-being and access to health resources were identified as being the most challenging health concerns that survivors face post-disaster. Participants also identified the following private and public recovery resources that survivors use to attempt to restabilize following the fire: community support, county agencies, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA,) insurance companies and philanthropic organizations. However, participants noted that the cumulative impacts of these efforts still leave many of their patients and clients without the resources needed to restabilize emotionally, financially and physically. Finally, participants spoke about the community-wide, downstream impacts of wildfires, noting that "survivors" are not only those whose health is immediately compromised by the disaster. CONCLUSION: Given the worsening wildfire seasons in California, we must increase our understanding of both the scope of the health and social issues that survivors navigate following a disaster, as well as the effectiveness and sustainability of recovery resources available to survivors. We must also understand the "ripple effect" that wildfires have on surrounding communalities, impacting housing access, social services, and health care access. More research and support, especially during the current COVID-19 pandemic, is urgently needed to improve our ability to support the health and social needs of wildfire survivors in the future.

The Long Shadow: Collateral Impact and Finding Resilience Amidst a Global Pandemic Pediatric Palliative Care Social Work During COVID-19.

This manuscript illuminates the nuanced ways in which the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the pediatric palliative care social work role and clinical care in caring for children with life-limiting illnesses and their families throughout the country. The authors discuss memorable moments, logistical impacts, telehealth usage, decision-making experiences, end of life care, bereavement practices, specialized interventions, and self-care. The paper concludes with lessons learned and practical recommendations for the future.

"You never stop being a social worker:" Experiences of pediatric hospital social workers during the acute phase of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic has wrought widespread devastation upon children and families across the United States, widening existing health disparities and inequities that disproportionately affect communities of color. In health care settings specifically, social work is the key workforce tasked with responding to patient and family psychosocial needs, both of which have increased substantially since the emergence of COVID-19. There is a need to understand ways in which hospital social workers' roles, responsibilities, and integration within interprofessional teams have evolved in response to these challenges. In this qualitative study, focus groups were conducted with 55 social workers employed across multiple settings in a large, urban, pediatric hospital in Spring 2020. Thematic analyses revealed salient superordinate themes related to the pandemic's impact on social work practice and social workers themselves, institutional facilitators and impediments to effective social work and interprofessional practice, and social work perspectives on future pandemic recovery efforts. Within each theme, a number of interrelated subthemes emerged elucidating nuances of telehealth adoption in the context of remote work, the salience of social determinants of health, and the critical role of social work in social justice oriented pandemic preparedness and response efforts. Implications for interprofessional practice and the profession at large are discussed.