ABSTRACT
From being a voluntary job caring for the poor in late-19th-century Europe and North America, social work has become an occupation and, of late, a profession. Professional social work demands operating within a multi-stakeholder system, rendering psychosocial services to vulnerable populations in a coordinated manner. The South African Council for Social Service Professions (SACSSP) directs that social workers are ethically obliged to assist during public emergencies. However, these professionals mostly lack knowledge on how to render adequate mental health services to vulnerable groups and frontline responders during communicable disease disasters. Declared a disaster globally and nationally, the COVID-19 pandemic is a poignant case example. Although the social work curriculum in South Africa includes training on primary social work methods, no local university offers under- or post-graduate training in disaster management or communicable disease disaster management specifically. This chapter attempts to integrate knowledge from the disaster management and social work disciplines to highlight the gaps among legislation, policies, guidelines, training, and practice. The chapter advocates for changes to the social work curriculum to include disaster mental health training. It also provides a checklist for minimum competencies and value standards for social work services during communicable disease disasters.
Ngesikhathi esedlule sezigidi zeminyaka angamashumi ayisishiyagalolunye (19th century), emazweni anjenge Europe ne North America, umsebenzi wabezenhlalakahle waqala ngokuba abantu bazinikele ukwenza umsebenzi wokunakekelwa kwabantu abahluphekayo ngaphandle kokuthola inzuzo. Manje, lomsebenzi usungumsebenzi wobuchwepheshe.
Ubuchwepheshe kwezehlalakahle kudinga ukusebenzisana kwabantu abaningi kanye nayoyonke imikhakha ekhona ukuze kulethwe izinzisa zokululeka abantu ngokwenqondo.
Umkhandlu wase Ningizimu Afrika obhekene nezenhlalakahle (South African Council for Social Service Professions) ikubona kubalulekile ukuthi abezenhlalakahle basize umphakathi uma kunezimo eziphuthumayo. Kodwa, ucwaningo luveza ukuthi abezehlalakahle abanalo ulwazi olwanele lokusiza umphakathi ozithola uhlaselwe izinhlekelele kanye nalabo abawulethela usizo, ikakhulukazi labo abasebenza ngezifo ezithathelanayo. Isifo seCOVID-19 (esabayinhlekelele eNingizimu Afrika nasemhlabeni wonke) siyisibonelo esihle esaveza ukuthi ulwazi ngezinhlekelele luyadingeka kwabezenhlalakahle.
Amanyuvesi aseNingizimu Africa afundisa abezenhlalakahle, mazifundisi izifundo zolwazi ngezinhlenkelele kanye nezifundo ezimayelana nezifo ezithathelanayo. Afundisa kuphela ngolwazi lokusebenza ngomphakathi.
Lesisahluko sizama ukuhlanganisa ulwazi lomsebenzi wabezenhlalakahle kanye no lwazi ngo kusebenza ngezinhlekelele. Lokhu kwenziwa ngokucwangingisisa imithetho yase Ningizimu AfriKa, ulwazi olukhona, imihlahlandlela kanye nendlela yokusebenza.
Lesisahluko siphide sikhuthaze ukubaluleka kokufundisa abezenhlalakahle ngokusebenza ngezinhlekelele ikakhulukazi ukusiza umphakathi ngokwelapha ngokwengqondo bese sikhombisa indlela yokwenza ezosiza abazenhlalakahle ibakhombise okufanele bakwenze uma bebhekene nezimo zezinhlekelele.
