Abstract Across the globe social workers are increasingly working within disaster settings, responding to pandemics, environmental crises, conflict, and war. Despite being at the forefront of providing support to disaster-affected individuals and communities, research into disaster social work has not kept pace with work undertaken in the field. This case study draws on 20 semistructured interviews with Australian Government social workers to examine their role within domestic and international post-disaster settings. Four key findings are discussed. First, focusing on practical supports such as ensuring safety and providing food, water, and shelter, and supporting emotional wellbeing was considered the most effective approach by participants in the immediate aftermath of a disaster. Second, participants identified that facilitating community-driven responses helped promote longer-term recovery from disasters. Third, participants reflected on using macroskills to influence policy and service delivery, utilizing their ‘on the ground’ expertise to advocate for changes to benefit the individuals and communities they were working alongside. Fourth, participants highlighted the importance of culturally responsive practice in post-disaster settings. The findings of this small-scale qualitative case study make a significant contribution to the scholarly literature on disaster social work and highlights the unique role of government social workers in disaster responses.
Cunningham et al. (Wed,) studied this question.