Responding to Disaster-Related Loss and Grief: Recovering From the 2013 Flood in Southern Alberta, Canada

ABSTRACT

Applying a loss and grief perspective, this article explores lived experiences and perceptions of social workers and human service professionals who provided psychosocial supports and services to children, youth, and families recovering from the 2013 flood in southern Alberta, Canada. Five interrelated themes emerged from the analysis: (a) challenges with providing services while experiencing personal loss; (b) lack of funding for long-term postdisaster psychosocial recovery; (c) parenting in the context of disaster-related loss; (d) children’s and youth’s experiences of disaster-related loss and grief; and (e) the impact of the flood on family socioeconomic status. Recommendations for research, education and practice are discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• Children
• disaster
• flood
• psychosocial
• youth

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Alberta Innovates [Grant Number 20141038].

Notes on contributors

Amy E. Fulton

Dr. Amy E. Fulton is a Registered Social Worker (Alberta) and Postdoctoral Scholar at the University of Calgary, Canada. Dr. Fulton’s interests include qualitative research, disaster social work, immigration, and social work education.

Julie Drolet

Dr. Julie Drolet is an associate professor in the Faculty of Social Work at the University of Calgary, and a Registered Social Worker (Alberta). She is particularly interested in the field of international social work and conducts research on disaster recovery, immigrant settlement and integration, and field education.