Human service professionals' perceived ability to support title I schools during the COVID-19 pandemic

ABSTRACT

Human service professional practitioners (HSPPs) who work in Title I schools help students overcome challenges including absenteeism and behavioral problems and serve as liaisons between the school, family, and student. The pivot to online education during the COVID-19 school shutdowns meant that HSPP services also pivoted. The purpose of this generic qualitative study was to understand how HSPPs perceived their ability to serve Title I students during the pandemic through the lens of Bandura's self-efficacy theory. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 15 HSPPs who delivered services to Title I students before and during the pandemic. Participants reported their service delivery was effective prior to the pandemic despite a lack of resources. Themes from coding analysis included (a) an ability to effectively deliver services before the COVID-19 pandemic despite a lack of resources;(b) not feeling that their job was undoable;(c) significant disruptions in pandemic service delivery (increasing student needs, changes in job responsibilities, communication/trust issues);(d) there was no way to be prepared;and (e) they gained helpful insights into professional priorities, the use of new organizational tools, and new resources for disruptions. Results could be used by HSPPs, education administrators, and stakeholders in the development of comprehensive virtual plans in schools, which could help parents, HSPPs, and school administrators pivot more smoothly and mitigate potential issues during these types of events. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)