Mon, 03/15/2021
LAWRENCE Social workers are trained to help people in times of crisis. But what happens when those professionals are experiencing a crisis along with the rest of society? University of Kansas social welfare researchers and students have created a body of work about the COVID-19 pandemic s effects on their education, well-being and profession.
As the pandemic unfolded in early 2020, social welfare researchers saw a call for papers on how the pandemic was affecting the field. At the same time, their students struggled as classes moved online and practicum experiences ended early.
“We felt like it would be a very big missed opportunity if our students weren’t involved in that, because they are often vulnerable in many ways that faculty members are not,” said Sarah Jen, assistant professor of social welfare. “And we wanted to represent as many voices as possible.”