Social Work Professionals Greatly Affected By Hurricane Katrina

NASW assists social workers in need, as they help others

Washington – Well-known for their crisis intervention and counseling skills, social workers are essential to the immediate and ongoing relief and recovery efforts in the Gulf Region. But what happens to those social workers who are personally impacted by Hurricane Katrina?

The National Association of Social Workers is taking steps to remedy the hardships incurred by social workers in Alabama , Mississippi , and Louisiana . . The NASW Foundation has established a Social Work Disaster Assistance Fund to assist some of the estimated 2,000 social workers directly affected by the hurricane.

To date, the Social Work Assistance Fund has raised more than $25,000. This money is provided to social workers who apply for grants of up to $500. Applicants need not be NASW members, but do need to have been directly affected by Hurricane Katrina.

“As the largest providers of mental health services, social workers serve as a lifelines for many of their clients and it is NASW’s responsibility, as their professional association, to support our colleagues in their recovery,” says Elizabeth Clark, PhD, ACSW, MPH, executive director of NASW and president of the NASW Foundation. “Not only are social workers on the frontlines assisting others, they are dealing with the tragedy in their own lives. We need to make sure that as many social workers as possible are able to regain some normalcy in their own lives, so they can help their communities and its residents rebuild. ”

Hurricane Katrina destroyed much of the Gulf Region’s infrastructure and social services safety net. It is estimated that at least 1,000 social workers in the affected regions no longer have jobs, offices, private practices or agencies. May of them have lost homes, possessions and even loved ones.

NASW’s new consumer Web site, HelpStartsHere.org, provides information to the public about disaster response and grief issues, along with other key social work practice areas. For details, visit http://www.helpstartshere.org/Default.aspx?PageID=459.

In addition to these efforts, NASW is suspending dues renewals for up to six months for NASW members from affected areas of the Gulf Region. NASW is posting information daily on its Web site about employment and volunteer opportunities for social workers. NASW has also helped recruit thousands of professional social workers as volunteers for the American Red Cross Partner for Effective Emergency Response Program (PEER).

To donate to the Social Work Assistance Fund or to find out how to benefit from this fund, please visit www.socialworkers.org. For media inquiries, please e-mail media@naswdc.org or call 202-336-8228.

The National Association of Social Workers (NASW), in Washington, DC, is the largest membership organization of professional social workers with 150,000 members. It promotes, develops, and protects the practice of social work and social workers. NASW also seeks to enhance the well being of individuals, families, and communities through its advocacy.