Social Workers and the National Strategy for the COVID-19 Response and Pandemic Preparedness.

Abstract

S ocial workers serve as, and build, bridges between individuals, communities, and macro systems. Our work is traditionally conducted face-to-face and often even hand-in-hand. Most social workers meet the definition of “essential worker” and thus have continued working under most state distancing orders. However, the personal safety precautions prudent to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have forced many changes to how, where, and when social work happens. You are reading this column at least five months into a new administration, and I wrote it just a month after angered election-outcome-deniers stormed the Capitol building in Washington, DC. We live in a deeply divided country. Social workers are the professionals best trained for the moment to listen to and help forge bridges between neighbors and sectors of the community who have grown apart. Especially with the COVID-19 pandemic waging into its second year, there are many needs to meet. This is the time to evaluate how we as a nation are doing and to consider what more can social work professionals do to shape our collective success. In this column, I review the Biden–Harris seven-point plan to beat COVID19. History will tell how we did in this moment, and it is crucial that social workers track progress along the way and right the course where necessary. Even before officially taking office, the Biden– Harris administration declared that, regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, they would