COVID-19: A NEW CHALLENGE FOR SOCIAL WORK

Abstract

Social work is a global, practice-based profession and an academic discipline that promotes social change and development, social cohesion and the empowerment and liberation of people. Together with health care, social welfare and social work form the core structure of the service system that maintains the well-being of a population. The social work and social services have recently faced new challenges. The frontline social workers and social welfare institutions have had to adapt to the new circumstances and respond to challenges caused by a powerful  biological phenomenon that is invisible in everyday activities but has a fundamental impact on the daily functioning of society. Face-to-face interactions, touch and compassion are at the heart of social work, and so we must ask how a pandemic changes people’s daily lives and the functions of social work institutions and share experiences across borders to learn from each other.