Self-care management 101: Strategies for social workers and other frontline responders during the COVID-19 pandemic in rural communities

ABSTRACT

The Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) has taken the world by storm, causing massive death and infection rates, along with a myriad of challenges for individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities everywhere. Rural communities are disproportionally impacted by COVID-19 as they were already challenged by social, economic, and health disparities. Social workers and frontline responders in these communities also face unique challenges as the people they serve are poorer, older, and have more chronic health conditions as compared to people in urban communities (Center for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2019). As social workers and other frontline responders become more overwhelmed and burdened with the responsibility to care for others during this pandemic, their own needs are often overlooked and unmet. To that end, there is increasing recognition of the relevance of self-care among social workers and other frontline responders, particularly those in rural communities where there is a shortage of professional service providers and resources. This article explores stressors associated with COVID-19 and the impact of COVID-19 on rural communities, social workers, and other frontline responders. It also presents self-care strategies for reducing the burden of COVID-19. It concludes with implications for social work practice. Lastly, practical strategies for self-care and implications for social work will be provided.

KEYWORDS:

• COVID-19
• self-care
• stressors
• well-being
• rural communities

Declaration of interest statement

The authors declare that they do not have any financial or non-financial competing interests to report.