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Disaster Response through Community Practice

A Social Work Perspective

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Community Practice and Social Development in Social Work

Part of the book series: Social Work ((SOWO))

Abstract

The social work profession has a long history aiding in disaster response and recovery. Interventions span several modalities including work with individuals, groups, and communities. Since 2005 and the catastrophic impact of Hurricane Katrina on the city of New Orleans and the adjacent Gulf Coast region, the role of social work has gained increased attention in the literature, particularly at the macrolevel through community capacity building and asset development. This chapter examines dimensions of disaster social work through the lens of macropractice in order to promote community resilience in recovery. Community-based disaster social work is discussed within the context of a “whole community” philosophy to reduce vulnerability and mitigate disaster risk. A common denominator between these approaches is the interconnection between people and place, which encourages a sense of community. Attention is given to the key concepts of community vulnerability, adaptive capacity, and collective efficacy and their relationship to macrointerventions in disaster social work.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Public Affairs, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA

    Robin L. Ersing

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  1. Robin L. Ersing
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Correspondence to Robin L. Ersing .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, Canada

    Sarah Todd

  2. University of Calgary, Edmonton, AB, Canada

    Julie Drolet

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Ersing, R.L. (2020). Disaster Response through Community Practice. In: Todd, S., Drolet, J. (eds) Community Practice and Social Development in Social Work. Social Work. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-1542-8_11-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-1542-8_11-1

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