International experts say social workers should play a greater role in assisting in natural disasters.
The experts are taking part in a University of Calgary workshop with the aim of building a provincewide network of social workers in Alberta ready to assist in the event of natural disasters such as the 2013 floods in southern Alberta or last year’s Fort McMurray wildfire.
Organizer Julie Drolet says social workers need to prepare in a structured way and learn how to become personally prepared to help out when a disaster first occurs and in the long-term as well.
Golam Mathbor, a professor in social work at Monmouth University in New Jersey, says social workers live in the community and are invaluable in helping victims find local resources and shelters.
He says they should receive specialized training so they are fully aware of procedures and what steps to take for those who are in distress.
Desley Hargreaves from the University of Queensland in Australia says her experience has shown the importance of providing long-term assistance to disaster victims who can suddenly find themselves negatively affected several years later.
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