Social Workers and the National Strategy for the COVID-19 Response and Pandemic Preparedness

[Note: Below is an excerpt from an article in the most recent issue of the journal Health & Social Work, co-published by NASW and Oxford University Press. The article was written by Ethan J. Evans, PhD, MSW, assistant professor, Division of Social Work, California State University, Sacramento. This article is free to be read on the Oxford University Press website.]

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Even before officially taking office, the Biden–Harris administration declared that, regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, they would

• listen to science;
• ensure that public health decisions are informed by public health professionals; and
• restore trust, transparency, common purpose, and accountability to our government.

On January 21, 2021, they released the National Strategy for the COVID-19 Response and Pandemic Preparedness, a seven-point plan to beat COVID-19 and get our country back on track (Biden, 2021). In it, the president outlines a roadmap to guide America out of the worst public health crisis in a century and presents an actionable plan across the federal government to address the COVID-19 pandemic. Our task as social workers will be to help implement, monitor, evaluate progress, and hold the administration accountable. As you read the general points of the following seven goals, ask yourself, “Where are we now?” …

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To read the whole article, please follow this link.

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The journal Social Work is a benefit of NASW membership. It is available online or, at a member’s request, in print. Children & Schools, Health & Social Work and Social Work Research are available by subscription at a discounted rate for NASW members, either online or in print. You can find out more about the journals and subscriptions at this link.