perspectives on social work - university of houston€¦ · graduate college of social work,...
TRANSCRIPT
![Page 1: PERSPECTIVES ON SOCIAL WORK - University of Houston€¦ · Graduate College of Social Work, University of Houston Correspondence should be addressed to Alan Dettlaff, University](https://reader035.vdocuments.us/reader035/viewer/2022081400/5f1443bab4259d12ec7b4b2d/html5/thumbnails/1.jpg)
PERSPECTIVES ONSOCIAL WORK
The Journal of the Doctoral Students of the University of Houston
Winter 2017 VOLUME 13 ISSUE #2
![Page 2: PERSPECTIVES ON SOCIAL WORK - University of Houston€¦ · Graduate College of Social Work, University of Houston Correspondence should be addressed to Alan Dettlaff, University](https://reader035.vdocuments.us/reader035/viewer/2022081400/5f1443bab4259d12ec7b4b2d/html5/thumbnails/2.jpg)
©2017PerspectivesonSocialWork
Perspectives on Social Work Special Edition Issue
Editor
Kenya R. Minott
Editorial Board
Tamara Al Rawwad Flor Avellaneda Nicholas Hardy
Rebecca L. Mauldin Ann Webb
Faculty Sponsor
Sheara Williams Jennings, PhD
![Page 3: PERSPECTIVES ON SOCIAL WORK - University of Houston€¦ · Graduate College of Social Work, University of Houston Correspondence should be addressed to Alan Dettlaff, University](https://reader035.vdocuments.us/reader035/viewer/2022081400/5f1443bab4259d12ec7b4b2d/html5/thumbnails/3.jpg)
SPECIAL EDITION ISSUE: A Call to Action in Perspectives on Social Work EDITORIAL
The devastation of Hurricane Harvey and its impact on the community is something from which many Houston residents are still trying to recover. Moving toward any resemblance of “normalcy” requires strength and determination at the individual, family, and community level. At the Graduate College of Social Work, that strength and determination was felt immediately as faculty and students began working together to build a network of support among each other and a rapid response to the greater community. As a result, our editorial board felt it important to document the experiences of some of our doctoral students and faculty directly involved. Each submission was reviewed internally by our editorial board and faculty chair.
Prior literature supports how individual resilience, when motivated by supportive networks, could lead to an increase in ability to manage crisis and stress during traumatic experiences (Norris et, al. 2007). In this issue, there are three unique perspectives shared. We are excited to share reflections from our Dean, Dr. Alan Dettlaff, who helped to coordinate efforts that led to social work students and staff volunteering to not only help at disaster relief shelters, but to also support each other with housing, supplies, rides to campus, and emotional support (2017). Our second essay is a personal account from a fourth year doctoral student on Hurricane Harvey, the loss of her home, and its impact on her life (Webb, 2017). Our final submission is a collaborative piece submitted by two doctoral students who gathered information from conversations had with social workers who volunteered during the relief efforts. They offer insight on the call to action, the use of social work skills during disaster relief, and recommendations for practice (Zhou and Crawford, 2017).
These essays represent the core of our social work values as they intersect with real life traumatic events and the reconciliation our own vulnerabilities during those experiences. Although we acknowledge that future writings might offer empirical, evidenced-based research on the disaster, we publish this special edition to lift up the voices from our graduate college community.
Kenya R. Minott, MSW University of Houston
Editor
References Dettlaff, A. (2017). Reflections on a storm. Perspectives on Social Work, 13(2), 3-5. Norris, F., Stevens, S., Pfefferbaum, B., Wyche, K., and Pfefferbaum, R. (2007). Community resilience as a
metaphor, theory, set of capacities, and strategy for disaster readiness. Community Psychology, 41(1-2), 127-150. Retrieved from http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1007/s10464-007-9156-6/full. DOI:10.1007/s10464-007-9156-6.
Webb, A. (2017). Home. Perspectives on Social Work, 13(2), 6-12. Zhou, S. and Crawford, C. (2017). After the Storm: Reflections on Volunteering at Shelters after Hurricane Harvey.
Perspectives on Social Work, 13(2), 13-19.
![Page 4: PERSPECTIVES ON SOCIAL WORK - University of Houston€¦ · Graduate College of Social Work, University of Houston Correspondence should be addressed to Alan Dettlaff, University](https://reader035.vdocuments.us/reader035/viewer/2022081400/5f1443bab4259d12ec7b4b2d/html5/thumbnails/4.jpg)
ReflectionsonaStorm
AlanJ.Dettlaff
GraduateCollegeofSocialWork,UniversityofHouston
CorrespondenceshouldbeaddressedtoAlanDettlaff,UniversityofHouston,GraduateCollegeofSocialWork,3511CullenBlvd,Room110HA,Houston,TX77204.Email:[email protected]
OnAugust25,2017,whentheUniversityofHoustoncloseditscampusinanticipationofHurricaneHarvey,Ihadnoideawhatwasinstore.BeingstillnewtoHouston,Ihadexperiencedrainandflooding,buthadnotyetexperiencedtheimpactofastormofthisnature.Inthedaysthatfollowed,itquicklybecameclearthatwewereexperiencingwhatwenowknowwasahistoricweatherevent.IwaspersonallyveryfortunatetoliveinapartofHoustonthatwasnotseverelyimpactedbyHurricaneHarvey.Therewasrain,butnosignificantflooding.However,Iwatched,alongwiththerestofthecountry,muchofthecityofHoustonanditsresidentsexperienceincredibledevastation.ManystudentsoftheGraduateCollegeofSocialWork,andseveralfacultyandstaff,experiencedsignificantfloodingandmanywereforcedtoevacuatetheirhomesandcommunities.Whiletheextenttowhichpersonalproperty,includinghomesandotherbelongings,waslostamongthoseimpactedvaried,thetraumaexperiencedbyallwassignificant.Forourstudents,thistraumawasheightenedbytheanxietythatalreadyexistedduetothestartoftheacademicyear,whichhadbegunjustoneweekpriortothestorm.Inthedaysthatfollowed,manyofourstudentsexpressedconcernsabouthowHurricaneHarveyandtheuniversity’sclosurewouldimpacttheirassignments,duedates,completionoffieldhours,andeventheirtimelineforgraduation.Duringthistime,Ifoundthatitwasmosthelpfultobeinregularcommunicationwithourstudentstoassurethemthataccommodationswouldbemadeasaresultofwhatnowwouldbeashortenedsemester.Primarily,Iwantedtoensurethatourstudentsfocusedontheirhealthandtheirsafety,andnotbeworriedaboutschool.Tothisend,IamgreatlyappreciativeoftheGCSWfacultyandtotheadministrationoftheUniversityofHouston,whouniformlyemphasizedflexibilityandunderstandingasourstudentsgraduallyadjustedbacktotheroutineoftheacademicsemesteroncetheUniversityofHoustoncampusreopenedonSeptember5,2017.
WhilethedevastationinflictedbyHurricaneHarveywasclear,andthechallengesforourstudents,faculty,andstaffwouldcontinuethroughoutthesemester,Iwasalsoamazedtowitnesstheincredibleheroismandgracethatemergedfromthishistoricstorm.HurricaneHarvey,asdevastatingasitwas,alsoshinedalightuponHoustonasamodelforstrength,resiliency,andhope.Astheweeksfollowingthestormunfolded,Iwasstruckby
![Page 5: PERSPECTIVES ON SOCIAL WORK - University of Houston€¦ · Graduate College of Social Work, University of Houston Correspondence should be addressed to Alan Dettlaff, University](https://reader035.vdocuments.us/reader035/viewer/2022081400/5f1443bab4259d12ec7b4b2d/html5/thumbnails/5.jpg)
Dettlaff,REFLECTIONSONASTORM 4
thegenerosityofthiscommunityanditsresidents,asweallcametogethertohelpthoseinneed.Shelterswereopenedovernight,massivedonationsoffood,clothing,andcashwerereceiveddaily,andHoustonianswereinthestreetsandinourneighborhoods,cleaningouthouses,removingdebris,andensuringthatthemostvulnerableresidentsofthecityweresafeandsheltered.AsthemostdiversecityinAmerica,wecametogethertoachieveourcommongoals,tovalueandseekeachother’suniquestrengths,andtoserveourneighborsandourcommunitiesinwaysthatshowedweareallinthistogether.Asanon-nativeHoustonian,IfeltproudofthiscityandproudtocallHoustonmyhome.
Also,Iwasparticularlyproudofourstudentsandalumniwhoansweredthemanycallsforhelp,especiallythosespecificallyrequestingsocialworkersatthenumeroussheltersthathadopenedacrossthecity.Ourstudentsandalumniprovidedmuchofthementalhealthandcrisisservicestothoseimpactedbythestormandcontinuetodosotoday.Inaddition,ourstudents,facultyandstaffsponsoredclothingdrives,fooddrives,diaperdrives,andmanyotheractivitiesinadditiontothenumerousvolunteerhourstheycontributedtothoseinneed.
Iamalsogratefultothemanycallsandoffersofhelpfromcolleaguesacrossthecountry,fromschoolsofsocialworknearandfar.Yourthoughtsandmessagesofsolidarityandconcernweregreatlyappreciatedbyallofus,andIamhonoredtobeapartofthisincrediblygeneroussocialworkcommunity.
Astheweeksfollowingthestormunfoldedandsomesenseofnormalcyemerged,Iamalsoincrediblyproudofourstudents,faculty,andstafffordivingbackintotheworkwehavecommittedtodoingandtotheoutcomeswearecommittedtoachieving.AttheGraduateCollegeofSocialWork,ourvisionistoachievesocial,racial,economic,andpoliticaljustice,localtoglobal,andHurricaneHarveydidnothingtoimpactourresolveanddedicationtopursuingthisvision.Ourstudent-ledPolicyInsidersAdvisoryCommitteehostedeventsfocusingonhottopicsinimmigrationpolicyandre-entryprogramsforthoseinvolvedinthecriminaljusticesystem.WewelcomedJeffHobbstocampus,authorofTheShortandTragicLifeofRobertPeace,ourSocialJusticeSummerReadingselection,whometwithstudentsandpresentedtoourbroadersocialworkcommunity.WeconcludedthesemesterwithaninspiringpresentationfromDeRayMckesson,anationalleaderintheBlackLivesMattermovement,followedbyastudent-leddemonstrationto“TakeaKnee”toraiseawarenessforracialjustice,abuseofpower,andfreedomofspeech.OurstudentsandourGCSWcommunityfacedthechallengesbroughtbyHurricaneHarvey,andrespondedwithunwaveringresolvetoadvanceourvision,despitethosechallenges.
Buildingonourstrengthsandourachievementsthissemester,wearelookingforwardtocontinuingwhatiscertaintobelongrunningrecoveryefforts,aswellas
![Page 6: PERSPECTIVES ON SOCIAL WORK - University of Houston€¦ · Graduate College of Social Work, University of Houston Correspondence should be addressed to Alan Dettlaff, University](https://reader035.vdocuments.us/reader035/viewer/2022081400/5f1443bab4259d12ec7b4b2d/html5/thumbnails/6.jpg)
Dettlaff,REFLECTIONSONASTORM 5
continuedopportunitiestoachieveourvision.Althoughwehaveallbeenimpactedinsomeway,thedevastationleftbehindbyHarveyisvastlyovershadowedbytheselflessnessandgraceofHouston’sresidents,aswellasourcommonresolvetomoveforwardandtoserve.AttheGraduateCollegeofSocialWork,ourvisionisourpriority,andwewillcontinuepursuingthisvisionuntiljusticeisnolongeranaspiration,butareality.
AlanJ.DettlaffwasappointedDeanoftheGraduateCollegeofSocialWorkandtheinauguralMacondaBrownO’ConnorEndowedDean’sChairinMay2015.PriortojoiningtheUniversityofHouston,DeanDettlaffservedonthefacultyoftheJaneAddamsCollegeofSocialWorkattheUniversityofIllinoisatChicago.Hereceivedhisbachelor’sdegreeinsocialworkfromTCU,andmaster’sinsocialworkandPhDfromtheUniversityofTexasatArlington.
DeanDettlaff’sworkfocusesonimprovingoutcomesforchildrenandyouthinthechildwelfaresystemthroughexaminingthefactorscontributingtoracialdisparitiesandimprovingculturalresponsiveness.HisresearchandconsultationwithstatechildwelfaresystemshasledtosignificantpolicyandpracticeimprovementsthathaveresultedinreductionsintheoverrepresentationofAfricanAmericanchildreninthesesystems.DeanDettlaffhasalsoconductedgroundbreakingresearchtoidentifyandunderstandtheuniqueneedsofimmigrantLatinochildrenandfamiliesinvolvedinchildwelfare.
DeanDettlaffisco-editorofAddressingRacialDisproportionalityandDisparitiesinHumanServices:MultisystemicApproachesandImmigrantandRefugeeChildrenandFamilies:CulturallyResponsivePractice,publishedbyColumbiaUniversityPress.HeservesontheeditorialboardsofChildWelfare,ChildAbuse&Neglect,andJournalofPublicChildWelfare.
![Page 7: PERSPECTIVES ON SOCIAL WORK - University of Houston€¦ · Graduate College of Social Work, University of Houston Correspondence should be addressed to Alan Dettlaff, University](https://reader035.vdocuments.us/reader035/viewer/2022081400/5f1443bab4259d12ec7b4b2d/html5/thumbnails/7.jpg)
“Home”
AnnWebb,JD,LCSW
GraduateCollegeofSocialWork,UniversityofHouston
CorrespondenceshouldbeaddressedtoAnnWebb,UniversityofHouston,GraduateCollegeofSocialWork,3511CullenBlvd,Room110HA,Houston,TX77204.Email:[email protected]
SincemyhouseandmostofitscontentsweredestroyedbyHurricaneHarvey,Ihavebeengivingalotofthoughttotheword“home.”OverwhelmedasI(andmyfamily)havebeenbythelossofwhatmybrotherdescribedas“aleveeoftrash,”andothers,lesscharitably,havedescribedas“apileofshit,”Ihavebeenalittlesurprisedathoweasyithasbeentoletgoofallthatstuff.Whathasbeenharder,hasbeenthesensethatIhavelostmycenter,myidentity,myhome.
Myfamilyandmypetsweresafelyoutoftownwhenthewaterrose,andweweresparedthetraumaofwatchingthewatercomein,ortheterroroftryingtoevacuatewithpetsandchildrenthroughhighwaterinthemiddleofthenight.StuckinthefarnorthernsuburbsofHouston,IpassedthetimefreneticallyfillingoutFEMAapplications,textingmyneighbors,watchingthenews,obsessingaboutwhatwewouldfindwhenwegotbacktotown,andstockinguponsuppliesattheclosestWal-Martandhomeimprovementstore.Inhindsight,loading100piecesofsheetrockonatrailerinadownpourmightnothavebeenthemostproductiveuseofmytime,butdoinganythinggavemeasenseofcontroloverasituationIcouldnotevenimagine.
MytenuousgriponcontrolevaporatedonTuesday,August29.Withmajorroads
intoandwithinHoustonstillclosedbyhighwater,mycontractor(theworddoesnotbegintodescribetherelationshipIhavewiththisman,whowas,andcontinuestobe,mysaviorthroughallofthis)calledtosayhehadmadeittomyhousewithateamoflaborersandIneededtocomehome.WithGoogleflummoxedbyallthehighwater,andchallengeswithcellphonereceptioninremotepartsofthearea,mysonandIsetoutwithpapermapsandsporadicphonecallstoanotherfriendwhowasguidingourprogressthroughruralMontgomeryCountywithaTexasmapandastronginternetconnection.Althoughwehadtomakeasignificantdetour,withnooneelseontheroads,ourtripintoHoustonwasmuchquickerthanweexpected,andwepulledintoourneighborhoodatabout4:00pm.
Althoughsomeofthefamiliesinnewhomesneverleft,wewerethefirstfloodedfamilytomakeitbacktotheneighborhood,andthesilencewaseerie.Atthattimeofday,ourstreetsareusuallybusywithdogwalkers,kidsonbikes,andrandompeopletakingadvantageofourtree-linedstreetstogetinsomecardio.ButonthatTuesdayafternoon,
![Page 8: PERSPECTIVES ON SOCIAL WORK - University of Houston€¦ · Graduate College of Social Work, University of Houston Correspondence should be addressed to Alan Dettlaff, University](https://reader035.vdocuments.us/reader035/viewer/2022081400/5f1443bab4259d12ec7b4b2d/html5/thumbnails/8.jpg)
Webb,HOME 7theonlyactivityseemedtobeatmyhouse.Ourneighborhoodofmid-centuryranch-stylehousesjustoffBraysBayouwasbadlyaffectedbythefloodwaters.Everyoriginalhometookonwater,fromjustafewinchesontheedgesoftheneighborhood,to3-4feetonthestreetsclosesttothebayou.Outof146homes,only20,allofthemnewconstruction,didnothaveanywateratall.Twoorthreeothershadonlygarageflooding.Myhousehadalmostthreefeetofwaterenterthegarage,boththelowestpartofthehouseandthesideclosesttothebayou.Basedonwaterlinesonthewallsandfurniture,therewasatleast24incheswaterineveryotherroomofthehouse.Theworkershadalreadyemptiedtherefrigeratorsandfreezerofspoiledfood,andhadpulledwater-loggedsofasandmattressestothecurb.Mylivingroomsofa,onwhichdozensofvisitorshadslept,wasthefirstthingIsawwhenwepulledup.
Mycontractormetusatthegarageandtriedtoprepareusforwhatwewouldseeinside.“It’sbad,”hesaid.Wewalkedslowlythroughthehouse,withmysonandItryingtotakeinthescopeofwhatwewereseeing.Mostofthewaterwasgone,althoughaninchortworemainedintwoofthebedroomswhichseemedtohavetightersealsthantheotherrooms.Somethingsseemedsurprisinglynormal.MykitchentablewasstillneatlystackedwithpaperworkIhadcleanedupbeforeleavingthehousefivedaysearlier.Thehardwoodparquetfloorinmyden,atfirstglance,lookedunscathed,whilethehardwoodfloorinthelivinganddiningroomhadbuckledandliftedbyseveralinches.Our1871pianohadwatermarksonthelegsandpedallyre,butthekeyboardandsoundboardseemeduntouched.Cupsandsaucersonthebottomshelvesofmychinacabinetwerefullofdirtywater,butotherwiseundamaged.Thechinacabinetitself,however,waswarpedandtheveneerwaspeelingoffthelowersurfaces.Bookcases,whichwehadineverysingleroomofthehouse,weresoakedwithwater,andonatleastthebottomtwoshelves(andinsomecaseshigher),thebookshadswollentothepointwherewecouldnotremovethem.Mynewlyrenovatedbathroom,finishedjust10daysbeforethestorm,lookeduntouched.UntilIopenedthebottomcabinetdrawerstofind14inchesofwaterstillcoveringmyhairdryerandextratoiletpaper.Therewerestillseveralinchesofstandingwaterinmydaughter’sbedroom,whichwasstrewnwiththedetritusleftbehindwhensheleftforcollegethedaybeforethestormhit,allofwhichwasnowsoakedwithfloodwaters.Theguestroom,whichcontainedseveralfamilyantiques,andhadalsobeenthestoragespotforallofthepictureswehadtakenoffthewallsinordertopaintjusttwoweeksearlier,stillhadseveralinchesofwater.Miraculously,wehadpowerandworkingairconditioning.
Thescopeoftheworktobedonewasoverwhelming,andIfoundmyselfalmostparalyzedinthefaceofit.Tomysurprise,thehousedidnotsmell,butallofmyothersenseswerebombarded.Ourworkersweresuckinguptheremainingfloodwaterswithshopvacs,tearingoutsheetrock,hardwoodflooringandpaneling,andhaulingfloodedappliancestothecurb.Itwasnoisyandchaotic.Everythingwetouchedwasslimyfromthefloodwaters.Ourjobwastopackupthesalvageablestuff,butatthispoint,itwasjustmeandmyson,andIfoundmyselfliterallyspinningincircles,lookingaroundthedifferentrooms,tryingtofigureoutwheretostart.Thefirst,almostimpossiblejob,wasdeciding
![Page 9: PERSPECTIVES ON SOCIAL WORK - University of Houston€¦ · Graduate College of Social Work, University of Houston Correspondence should be addressed to Alan Dettlaff, University](https://reader035.vdocuments.us/reader035/viewer/2022081400/5f1443bab4259d12ec7b4b2d/html5/thumbnails/9.jpg)
Webb,HOME 8whatwassalvageableandwhatwasnot.Butthispresentedanotherchallenge.Ihadpurchasedbleachandglovesandgarbagebagsandsheetrock,butdidn’tthinkabouttheneedformovingboxestopackthosethingsthatweweresalvaging.NothingnearuswasopensoIstartedtextingfriendsinthesuburbs,askingthemtobuyboxesandtape.Inthemiddleofallthechaos,Igotagroupemailfrommydepartmentchair,askingfordoctoralstudentstocheckinwithheronourstatus.Ifiredbackaquickmessage,sayingthatmyhousehadflooded,andwentbacktotheheart-wrenchingjobofemptyingbookshelvesthathadheldfirsteditionscollectedbymylatehusband.Weworkeduntildark,withmegoingfromoneroomtothenext,tacklingonespotuntilitbecameoverwhelming,thenmovingtoanother.Astheafternoonandeveningworeon,neighborsstartedcominghome.Mybrotherandtwoorthreeotherfriendsarrivedandstartedmovingfurniturewewerehopingtosalvagetothesunshineinthefrontyardtostartthedryingoutprocess.Bythetimedarknessfell,wewerefilthy,exhaustedandoverwhelmed.Onsomelevel,Iwashopingwe’dbeheadingbacktothepeaceofourrefugeonLakeConroe,andneithermysonnorIhadevenbroughtachangeofclothes.AlthoughIhadtheforesighttopackpajamas,Ihadn’tmadeaplanforwherewe’dbesleeping.Wewenthomethatnightwithmybrother,wholoanedusclothesandfedusdinner.
Thenextmorning,Iwasbackatthehouseby7am.Before8,thefirstoftheangels
fromtheGraduateCollegeofSocialWorkturnedup,thisoneintheformofourAssistantDean,whoarrivedwithgloves,masks,andtheincreasinglynecessaryplasticbins,cardboardboxesandtape.Asshewasleavingtodeliversuppliestootherfloodedcolleagues,thechairofthePhDprogramarrivedandstartedsortingphotosandpapersfordrying.Bymid-morning,thereweremorethan50peopleinmyhouse,fromthecrewofimmigrantworkerswhoweretearingthehousedowntostudsandconcrete,tothedeanofourCollegeandhishusbandwhopackedupmychinacabinet;totheHongKongexchangestudentswhowerepresenteverysingledayuntilthehousewascompletelyempty,andwhothoughtfullypulledtogetheraboxofnecessitiesfortheapartmentwewouldbemovinginto;tomyRussian“child”whosupervisedtheclean-outofmydaughter’sbedroom,attemptingtosalvagetreasuresfromherdadandgrandmother;tothefacultymemberswhodiddemoworkandpackedupmyofficeandcounseledmeonhowtosupportmyyoungadultchildrenthroughtheprocess;tothefriendsandcompletestrangerswhoshowedupwithfood,includingawomanwhoshowedupwithpizzaandleftwithmylaundry;tothedozensofpeoplewhotookawaybagsofsoakedclothingandreturneditcleananddry.Wewereinundatedwithsupportthatwasmuchmorepowerfulthanthefloodwaters.Overwhelmeddoesnotcomeclosetodescribingmyemotions.
Iamasocialworker.Iknowabouttraumaandgrief.Intellectually,Ihadnotroublenormalizingthegriefassociatedwiththelossofallofthesematerialthings.Icandescribethesymptomsofacutestressdisorder,andreadilyidentifiedtheminmyselfandinmyneighbors:nightmares,flashbacks,irritability,inabilitytoconcentrate,weepinessandincreasedemotionality.ButIamasocialworker.Idothehelping.Iamnotsupposedtoneedhelp.Itwasn’tjusttheprofoundlossthathadmedisoriented.Itwasthelossofa
![Page 10: PERSPECTIVES ON SOCIAL WORK - University of Houston€¦ · Graduate College of Social Work, University of Houston Correspondence should be addressed to Alan Dettlaff, University](https://reader035.vdocuments.us/reader035/viewer/2022081400/5f1443bab4259d12ec7b4b2d/html5/thumbnails/10.jpg)
Webb,HOME 9fundamentalpartofmyidentity.Ididn’tknowhowtoaskforhelp.Ididn’tknowhowtoaccepthelp.Ifoundmyselfdissolvingintearswhenastrangerstoppedbywithbreakfasttacos,stompingmyfeetinfrustrationwhenIfoundourwetbutsalvageableembroideredChristmasstockingssittingontopofthetrashpile,andshoutingatpeoplewholovedmeandhadthemisfortuneofaskingmewhatIneededthemtodonext.Inquietmoments,andthereweren’tverymanyofthose,mythoughtswouldturnawayfromthethingsthatwehadlost,andfocusonthememories:thefamilygatherings;Thanksgivingdinnerswehostedwithinternationalfriends;thefriendswhotookrefugeinourguestroomfromnaturaldisastersorfamilyconflict;thewelcomingreceptionforourdeanandhishusband;thebirthdayparties;thedozensofstudentswhosharedourlivesandourtable.WhowasI,ifIwasn’ttheonewelcomingthestranger,hostingthehomeless,supportingothersincrisis?Overnight,Ibecametheonewhowashomeless,theonewhowasincrisis,theonewhoneededsupport.
Within72hours,thehousewasdemo’ddowntothestuds,andthesecondwaveofworkbegan:gettingsalvageablestufftostorageandmovingwhatwaslefttoournewapartment.Anotherroundofangelsappeared,arrivingfromoutoftownwithfreshenergytounpack,organize,groceryshop,andpickoutbasicfurniture.Perhapsmostimportantly,theyprovidedemotionallystableshouldersformychildren,andwerepresenttohelpmakemydaughter’s24thbirthdaysomethinglessthantotallyawful.Inwhatseemedliketheblinkofaneye,butwasreallymorelikesevenoreightdays,thepossessionsofacoupleoflifetimesandthecontentsofa3200squarefoothousewerereducedtoa10x20storageunitandaverybaretwo-bedroomapartment.Treasuresmymotherhadcartedacrossthecountry,somedatingbackacenturyormore,weredestroyed.Firsteditionbookscollectedbymylatehusband,hauledtothecurb.Photosandalbumsfrommyownchildhood,mydaughter’schildhood,mylatehusband’schildhood,allgone.Mattresses,boxsprings,sofas,dressers,bookshelves,consignedtothepileoftrash.
Whenyoulookedatthepileoftrash,youwouldthinktherecouldn’tbeanythingleft.Butwesavedthepianomygreat-greatauntwasawardedin1871asaprizeforgraduatingfirstinherclass.TheNoritakechinamyfatherbroughthomefromOccupiedJapanafterWorldWarIIandtheRoyalCopenhagendishesthatmyauntpurchasedinDenmarkfollowingthewar,werecleanedandnowissafelyinstorage.Anorientalrughasbeencleanedandlookstobeasgoodasnew.Randompiecesoffurnituresurvived,includingthekitchentableandchairs,andacoupleofcheapcardtables.Severalchairs,includingtheantiquerockerinwhichInursedmydaughter,arebeingrestored.Pots,pansandeverydaydisheshavebeenwashedandarebackinuse.
Threemonthslater,thecurbisclean,andthegrasshasgrownback,butmyhouseisbarrenandmyneighborhoodremainsaghosttown.Halfthetime,Ican’trememberwhereIliveandamcontinuouslygivingpeoplethewrongaddress.Atleastonceaweek,IdriveonautopilothalfwaytothewronghousebeforerememberingthatIdon’tlivethereanymore.Mydogshaven’tquitefiguredoutthisnewlyurbanlifestyle,wherepeople
![Page 11: PERSPECTIVES ON SOCIAL WORK - University of Houston€¦ · Graduate College of Social Work, University of Houston Correspondence should be addressed to Alan Dettlaff, University](https://reader035.vdocuments.us/reader035/viewer/2022081400/5f1443bab4259d12ec7b4b2d/html5/thumbnails/11.jpg)
Webb,HOME` 10wanderdownthestreetatallhours,andthefootstepsoftheupstairstenanttriggercacophonouswarningsofunseendangers.OrdinaryconversationsbecomecomplicatedasIstumbleoversimplephraseslike“I’llcallyouwhenIgethome,”andIactuallyspendhourstryingtofigureouthowtodescribetheplacesIlive.Is“home”theplacethatflooded?OrtheapartmentwhereIlive?DoIjustdescribetheneighborhoods,withoutclaimingtheconnectionthatmakesaplaceahome?
ImissmyhouseandImissmystuff.Imisstheking-sizedbedwhereIcouldsleep
comfortablywithtwobigdogs.ImissmykitchenwhereIcould,almostalways,locatetheutensilsIneededtofixalmostanythingIwantedanddidn’tneedtomakewhatseemlikedailytripstoWal-Martforavegetablepeeler,oraspatula,orabowlbigenoughtomixpasta.ImissthedoggydoorthatmeantIdidn’thavetoplaydoormanfordogswhocan’tfigureoutwhethertheywanttobeinorout.ImisstheneighborsI’veknownforyears,andwalkedwithdaily,andwhoarescatteredacrossthecity.Butasthedaysgoby,lifehassettledintosomethingthatseemsnormal.Ilovemyapartment,withhardwoodfloorsandbigwindows.I’mdiscoveringthatdownsizingisn’tallbad,andIreallycanlivecomfortablyinaspacethatisaboutathirdthesizeofwhatIwasusedto.IlovebeingbackintheurbancoreofHouston,wheremanyofmyfloodedneighborsandfriendshavealsosettled,whereIcanwalktochurch,andbreakfast,andthegrocerystore.
Butitisn’tyethome.HomeiswhereIraisedmydaughterandfosterson,lostmyhusbandfartooearly,celebratedmymother’s80thbirthday,hostedsomanydinners,studysessions,houseguests,andinternationalstudentsIcametoloveasmyownchildren.WhereThanksgivingdinnerincludedfriendsfromaroundtheworld,andmydadsingingbawdysongshelearnedwhileservinginthePacificTheaterduringWorldWarII.TheplacewhereMuslimandHindustudentsfromPakistanandTunisiaspentThanksgivingnightdecoratingmyChristmastreewithmyJewishfostersonandChristiandaughter.WhereChristmasEvesincludedmyJewishsonwaitingforSantawithMuslimchildrenwhilemyChristiandaughterandIattendedmidnightmasswiththeirmother.Whereoneofthosechildrenwokemeupat2:00amonChristmasmorningasking“AuntieAnn,AuntieAnn,isitChristmasmorningyet?”Andwhosefirstquestionwhenhesawmynewapartmentwas“wherewillwewaitforSantathisyear?”TheonlyanswerIhadforhimthenwas“we’llfigureitout.Santawillfindus.”
Afteralotofsoul-searchingandnumbercrunching,myfamilyhasdecidedthatourbestoptionistorepairourhouse,butnotreturntoliveinit.Withthemarketgluttedwithfloodedhomes,sellingnowwouldbetoomuchofafinancialloss.Assumingwedon’tfloodagain,myrealtorfriendstellmethatthemarketwillrecoverandweareluckytobeinapositiontowaititoutforabit.Returningtothehousemakeslittlesenseeither,asmykidsarefinishingcollegeandIamfinishingaPhD.Giventhevagariesoftheacademicmarket,thereisnowaytoknowwhereIwillfindajobnextyear.Wenolongerhavethestufftofilla4-bedroomhouse,anditmakeslittlesensetopurchaseallthatfurniturewhenIdon’tknowwhereIormychildrenwillbeinayear.So,wewillstayinourapartmentforthe
![Page 12: PERSPECTIVES ON SOCIAL WORK - University of Houston€¦ · Graduate College of Social Work, University of Houston Correspondence should be addressed to Alan Dettlaff, University](https://reader035.vdocuments.us/reader035/viewer/2022081400/5f1443bab4259d12ec7b4b2d/html5/thumbnails/12.jpg)
Webb,HOME 11moment.Wewillrepairandhopefullyfindtenantswhowilllovethehouseasmuchaswehave.Mygoalistohavethehouseputbacktogetherintimetohostonelastparty:agraduationcelebrationinMayformydaughter.
Thestormhasunquestionablytakenatoll.Withoutfloodinsurance,mysavingshastakenasignificanthit,althoughIamgratefulforFEMAassistanceandtheavailabilityofanSBAdisasterloantohelpwiththerecoveryprocess.Ihadplannedtodefendmydissertationinthespringof2018,butdissertationresearchthisfalltookadistantsecondplacetoresearchingthevariousoptionsfordealingwithmyfloodedhome.Ihavepushedbackmytimelinewithagoalofdefendinginthesummerof2018.Icontinuetoexperienceattentionandconcentrationdifficulties,andfrequentlyfeellikeIcan’tkeepathoughtinmyheadformorethanaminuteortwo.Ihaveneglectedfriendships,ignorednewbabiesandforgottenbirthdays.Thesoundofrain,whichusedtoberelaxing,nowtriggersmildanxiety.Idon’tgetnearlyenoughexercise,asthegymIpreviouslyvisitedseveraltimesaweekisnolongerlessthanamilefrommyhome,andtheneighborsIwalkedwithdailyarescatteredtothefourwinds.IeatoutfarmoreoftenthanIusedto,inpartbecauseitisfuntotrynewrestaurantsinmynewpartoftown,butalsobecauseeverytimeItrytocookameal,Idiscoversomethingelsethatismostlikelyinstorage,butmostdefinitelyisnotinmykitchen.Asisalwaysthecaseafteraloss,theholidayshavebeenchallengingthisyear.Afteryearsofhostingothers,IwasdevastatedwhennooneseemedtothinkaboutinvitingustosharetheirThanksgivingdinner.Rationally,IknewthatmanyofthepeoplewhohadbeenatourThanksgivingfeastswereneighborswhohadalsoflooded,orstudentswhohadreturnedtotheirhomecountries,butnonetheless,Ifoundmyselfgrievingalloveragain.ButwehavefiguredoutaplantowaitforSanta,whohasgraciouslyagreedtovisitafewdaysearly,sothatwecanhaveChristmaswithourMuslimchildrenandalsowithouroldestfriendsinNewOrleans.Thetraditionsarechanging,butmyfamilyissurroundedbyloveandthesupportofourextendedandadoptedfamilyandfriends.
Unquestionably,ithasbeenadifficultsemester.Whenpeopleaskhowyougetthroughadisasterlikethis,Ithinktheonlyansweris“onestepatatime.”IamprivilegedinmorewaysthanIcanbegintocomprehend,andmyfamilyiswellonourwaytorecovery.IamlookingforwardtothedaythatIcanreturntomycomfortzone,andagainbecomethecaregiver,thesocialworker,andprovidearefugetothoseinneed.Inthemeantime,wearebuildinganewhomeandmakingnewmemories.
![Page 13: PERSPECTIVES ON SOCIAL WORK - University of Houston€¦ · Graduate College of Social Work, University of Houston Correspondence should be addressed to Alan Dettlaff, University](https://reader035.vdocuments.us/reader035/viewer/2022081400/5f1443bab4259d12ec7b4b2d/html5/thumbnails/13.jpg)
Webb,HOME 12
AnnE.Webbisanattorney,alicensedclinicalsocialworker,andaPh.D.studentattheUniversityofHouston,whereherresearchfocusesontheintersectionofsocialworkandthelaw,withaparticularinterestinmultidisciplinarypracticeinvolvingsocialworkersandlawyers,andimmigrationissuesaffectingchildrenandfamilies.Shehasservedasfacultyoncollaborativeprojectsinvolvingsocialworkandlawstudentsassistingdetainedwomenandchildrenseekingasylum.Herscholarlyagendaisinformedbyherexperienceasalawyerandsocialworkclinician,andbyherroleasanadvocateforunderservedpopulations.
![Page 14: PERSPECTIVES ON SOCIAL WORK - University of Houston€¦ · Graduate College of Social Work, University of Houston Correspondence should be addressed to Alan Dettlaff, University](https://reader035.vdocuments.us/reader035/viewer/2022081400/5f1443bab4259d12ec7b4b2d/html5/thumbnails/14.jpg)
AftertheStorm:ReflectionsonVolunteeringatSheltersafterHurricaneHarvey
ShuZhou,LMSW
GraduateCollegeofSocialWork,UniversityofHouston
ClaireCrawford,LMSW
UniversityofTexasHealthScienceCenteratHoustonSchoolofPublicHealth,DepartmentofHealthPromotionandBehavioralSciences
CorrespondenceshouldbeaddressedtoShuZhou,UniversityofHouston,GraduateCollegeofSocialWork,3511CullenBlvd,Room110HA,Houston,TX77204.Email:[email protected]
Introduction
Asclimatechangeincreasinglydevastatesallareasoftheglobethroughnaturaldisasters,vulnerablepopulationsaredisproportionatelyaffected.Peoplewithunstablehousing,littleincome,andpoorhealthpriortoamajordisasterwillhaveaccesstoevenfewerresourcesaftertheirhomes,jobs,andenvironmentshavebeendestroyed.NaturaldisasterssuchasHurricanesHarveyinHouston,IrmainFlorida,MariainPuertoRico,firesalongtheWestCoastoftheUnitedStates,monsoonsinIndia,andearthquakesinMexicohaveendedanddisruptedthousandsoflivesin2017alone.TheeffectsofHurricaneHarveydrewsocialworkersfromthecityofHouston,Texas,tovolunteerindroves,whetheratshelters,churches,homes,schools,foodbanks,orotherplacesinneed.Itwasinspiringtowatchassocialworkersfrommacroandclinicalsettings,fromadministrationandmedicine,fromprivatepracticeandschoolsappearedacrossthecitytogivetheirtime.
Whydidtheydoit?Tohelpothers,ofcourse,butwhatisattheheartofthesocial
workprofessionthatmakesusbothsodriventohelpinatimeofneedandsouniquelyqualifiedtoserveothers?And,moreimportantly,whatcanwedobetternexttimetoensurethatwefullyutilizetheabundanceofskillsandtimesocialworkersarewillingtogiveafternaturaldisasters?Collectively,thetwoauthorswithLMSWspentapproximatelyfourdaysservingassocialworkvolunteersatalargepublicshelterfollowingHurricane
![Page 15: PERSPECTIVES ON SOCIAL WORK - University of Houston€¦ · Graduate College of Social Work, University of Houston Correspondence should be addressed to Alan Dettlaff, University](https://reader035.vdocuments.us/reader035/viewer/2022081400/5f1443bab4259d12ec7b4b2d/html5/thumbnails/15.jpg)
Zhou&Crawford,AFTERTHESTORM 14Harvey.Basedontheauthors’ownexperiencesandtheirconversationswithothersocialworkvolunteers,thisarticlereflectstheauthors’perspectivesonthesocialworkresponsetoHurricaneHarveyandfuturedisasterreliefefforts.
SocialWorkResponse
MotivationtoVolunteer
ThesecondauthorspokewithtensocialworkersabouttheirexperiencesvolunteeringatsheltersduringHurricaneHarvey.Mostofthesocialworkers,includingtheauthorherself,citedsomesourceofinnerdrivethatgoesbymanynames.Somesaidtheyfeltacalling,otherscitedtheirservice-orientedpersonality,andmanysimplystatedthattheycouldn’timaginenotdoingsomethingafterseeingtheirfellowHoustoniansinneed.Manysocialworkers,includingthoseinhighereducationadministration,research,teaching,ormanyfacetsofmacrosocialworkdonotprovidedirectclientinterventionsonaregularbasis.Thesesocialworkersfeltitwasparticularlyimportanttovolunteerandspendtimeinthefieldwiththosedirectlyaffectedsincetheywouldnotencountertheclientsintheirjobs.Socialworkersweredevastatedfromwatchingfamiliesstruggletofindtheirmostbasicneedsonlocalnewschannelsandfelttheymustcontributetothehealingoftheircity..Manyofthereasonssocialworkerscitedforvolunteeringreflectedthereasonstheyenteredthefieldofsocialwork.
CallstoAction Whatevermotivatedsocialworkerstovolunteerworked.Majorpublicshelterswereestablishedaroundthecity,includingtheGeorgeR.BrownConventionCenter(GRB)indowntownHouston,whichhousedmorethan10,000people,andNRGParknearReliantStadiuminHouston’smedicalcenter,whichhousedmorethan2,000people(Collier,Satija,&Formby,2017).Localofficialsissuedurgentrequestsforkilledvolunteersattheseshelters.TwitterandFacebookpostsfromMayorSylvesterTurner,DirectorofHousingandCommunityDevelopmentTomMcCasland,andtheCityofHoustonelicitedhelpfromsocialworkersandotherhealthprofessionals.Forexample,theCityofHouston(2017)TwitteraccounttweetedthefollowingintheearlydaysofthehurricaneonAugust28th:“GEORGER.BROWNNEEDSLICENSEDMEDICALPROFESSIONALS,RNs&SOCIALWORKERS.Ifyoucansafelygetthere,go.FindTomMcCaslandheadofops.”ThepostswerewidelysharedandcirculatedbyinfluentialmembersoftheHoustonsocialworkcommunity,includingtheUniversityofHoustonGraduateCollegeofSocialWork(GCSW)dean,AlanDettlaff.ThoughsomesocialworkersheardaboutopportunitiestovolunteerthroughTVorradionewschannels,manycitedatleastonesocialmediaplatformastheirsourceofvolunteerinformation.Thesocialmediapostsoftenincludedlinkstosignupforvolunteershiftsonline,thoughtheefficiencyoftheselinksvariedwidely.Socialworkersfromaroundthecityrespondedwithzealtothesecallsforsocialworksupportatshelters.TheycontinuedtosignupandshowupatthesheltersintheweeksafterHarvey,sometimes
![Page 16: PERSPECTIVES ON SOCIAL WORK - University of Houston€¦ · Graduate College of Social Work, University of Houston Correspondence should be addressed to Alan Dettlaff, University](https://reader035.vdocuments.us/reader035/viewer/2022081400/5f1443bab4259d12ec7b4b2d/html5/thumbnails/16.jpg)
Zhou&Crawford,AFTERTHESTORM 15missingworkorskippingsleeptomakethemselvespresentfortheshelterresidents.Often,somanysocialworkersarrivedatashelterthatsomehadtobeturnedaway.SocialWorkSkills
Whyweresocialworkerssoheavilyrecruitedtohelpintheshelters,andwhatmakesussouniquelyqualifiedtoprovideourskillsduringdisasterreliefefforts?PerhapstheanswerliesinthecorevaluesfromNationalAssociationofSocialWorkers(NASW)CodeofEthicswithwhichallsocialworkersbecomefamiliarduringgraduateschool:socialjustice,dignityandworthoftheperson,importanceofhumanrelationships,integrity,andcompetence.Manyoftheresidentsatlargeshelterswerepeopleofcolorfromlowsocioeconomichouseholdswhowereintheirmostvulnerablestate;theyweredrivenoutoftheirhomesbythefloods,forcedtoleavebehindtheplacesandthingstheyhadworkedsohardtoobtain,traumatizedbythelossoflifeastheyhadknownitonlydaysbefore.Socialworkersworkedtowardsocialjusticebyensuringthatresidentsoftheshelters(or“guests,”astheywerecalledatNRG)weredirectedtotheresourcestheyneeded,includingfood,shelter,andsuppliesforthemselvesandtheirchildren.Wepromotedresidents’dignitythroughhonoringtheirspace;thetemporarycotsresidentswereissuedwerelikelymeagercomparedtomanyresidents’usualdwellings,butthespacewastheonlyareaoftheshelterthatwastheirsforthetime.Weusedourintegrityandleadershiptomakechangeswhenandwherewecouldthatwouldbenefittheresidents.Werecognizedandrespectedthatmanyguestsmaydisplaysignsoftrauma,mentalillness,andanger,andwerespondedtothosesymptomswithcoresocialworkcompetencieslearnedrecentlyormanyyearsagoinoursocialworktraining.
Finally,andperhapsmostimportantly,wefocusedontheimportanceof
relationships.Insuchanabbreviatedtime,withlimitedprivacyorresources,wetriedourbesttomakeothersfeelvaluedandheard.Weworkedtoreuniteparentswithchildren,friendswithfriends,andpeoplewiththeirbelovedpets.Alast-minutepolicychangeintheearlydaysofthestormallowedpetstobehousedindoorsatsheltersasaresponsetocomplaintsduringHurricaneKatrinain2005frompetownerswhoweredevastatedbyseparationfromtheirpetswhowerenotallowedintotheshelterswiththem(Brulliard,2017).Weformedourownrelationshipswithresidents,howeverfleetingtheymighthavebeen.Welistened.Weheard.Wevalidated.Perhapstootherprofessions,listeningseemstrivial.However,afteralloursocialworkeducation,training,andyearsofpractice,weknowthatlisteningwithempathyisanartandagift.Itwas,tomanyresidents,anincrediblyimportantgiftduringatimewhentheydidnotneedadviceorjudgment,justaneartohearwhattheyhadendured.Asaprofession,weunderstandthatthereisatimeandaplaceforempathiclisteningjustasthereisforadvice,andwearetrainedtoknowthedifference.Intheshelters,wefocusedonstrengthsandempoweredresidentstodrawupontheirdeepestwellsofstrengthduringatimewhenlifecouldseemhopeless.Theimportanceoffosteringsuchrelationshipsthroughthesimpleactoflisteningaftersuchatraumaticeventcannotbeoverstated.
![Page 17: PERSPECTIVES ON SOCIAL WORK - University of Houston€¦ · Graduate College of Social Work, University of Houston Correspondence should be addressed to Alan Dettlaff, University](https://reader035.vdocuments.us/reader035/viewer/2022081400/5f1443bab4259d12ec7b4b2d/html5/thumbnails/17.jpg)
Zhou&Crawford,AFTERTHESTORM 16
Socialworkersclearlyhaveavastpoolofskillsandtoolstoofferduringanatural
disaster,andyetsomeoftheireffortswerenotfullyutilizedwhentheyarrivedatshelters.Asnotedpreviously,somesocialworkerswereturnedawaybecausetoomanyvolunteershadalreadycome.Othersconductedunskilled,butstilluseful,taskssuchaswelcomingpeopletothesheltersororganizingdonations.Thoughthesetaskscouldhavebeenperformedbyothervolunteers,somesocialworkskillssuchasde-escalationandproblemsolvingproveduseful.However,largermissedopportunitiesoccurredwhensocialworkersweredirectedtoadesignatedareaformentalhealthprofessionalsandwaitedinanticipationforhourswithoutspeakingtoasingleresident.Askilledprofessionalhadtakentimefromherday,madetheefforttodrivetoashelter,park,andfindthementalhealtharea,andherskillswerenotutilized.Forsomesocialworkers,thesebarriersdeterredthemfromattemptingtovolunteeragain.Thesebarriersresultedinvolunteerswhofeltdisappointed,demoralized,anduselessinatimeofneedandresidentswholostthebenefitofavaluablesourceofsupport.Howcanwepreventthisfromhappeninginthefuturesuchthatweareabletoadequatelyusetheservicesofferedbyvolunteersocialworkers?
RecommendationsforPractice
Basedontheirownexperiences,reflections,andconversationswithothersocialworkers,theauthorshavesummarizedsomesuggestionsforbetterutilizingsocialworkers’skillsindisasterreliefvolunteerroles.
First,shelterstaffshouldidentifyprofessionals’backgroundandspecializedskills.WhentheauthorsweresigninguptovolunteerattheNRGshelter,thehostorganization,BakerRipley,collectedthisimportantinformationonvolunteerapplications.Inadditiontoquestionsregardingcurrentemployment,theBakerRipleyonlineapplicationalsoasked,“Whatpassionsorskillswouldyouliketoshare?”Amultiple-choicelistprovidedoptionssuchasteachingandmentoring,healthcareandnutrition,andothers.WhentheauthorsarrivedtheNRGshelterontheserviceday,theyhadanotherchancetoreporttheirskillstothestaffatthecheck-intable.Staffappearedtodocumentthefirstauthor’sadditionalcredentialsandskills,whichincludedholdingaLicensedMasterSocialWorker(LMSW)andfluencyinChineseMandarin.Allofthisinformationprovidedthesocialserviceagencywithageneralsenseofvolunteers’competencyandexpertise.
However,afterthefirstauthorenteredtheNRGshelter,thestaffdidnotappearto
assignrolesbaseduponvolunteers’skills.Thefirstauthorwaitedinthelobbyareaforhourswithmanyothervolunteerswholikelylackedspecializedmentalhealthcareskills,asstaffannouncedvariousbasicneedsandthenumberofvolunteersrequiredtoaccomplishthatneed.Forexample,afloodofvolunteerswhohadbeenwaitingforhoursrushedforwardtobesenttosetupcotsinthesleepingarea,butmanyhadtoreturntotheirseatsasthestaffmemberonlyneededagroupoffiveforcotsetup.Afterwaitingfor
![Page 18: PERSPECTIVES ON SOCIAL WORK - University of Houston€¦ · Graduate College of Social Work, University of Houston Correspondence should be addressed to Alan Dettlaff, University](https://reader035.vdocuments.us/reader035/viewer/2022081400/5f1443bab4259d12ec7b4b2d/html5/thumbnails/18.jpg)
Zhou&Crawford,AFTERTHESTORM 17anhourinthelobbyforavolunteerassignment,thefirstauthorfinallyassignedtotheareawherefemaleresidentswereassignedtosleepinhopesoffindingaplacewhereshecouldbeuseful.
Therefore,thesecondsuggestionistoassigntaskswithintheshelterbasedon
volunteers’skillsandstrengths.Sincethevolunteerapplicationandthecheck-inprocesswerebothconductedonline,theinformationshouldbeaccessibletothevolunteercoordinatoronsite.Ratherthanassigningvolunteerstotasksbasedonhowlongtheyhavebeenwaitingtoserve,theyshouldbegroupedintoskillsetsandassignedtotaskswheretheycanbeofthemostbenefittotheorganizationortheresidents.Forexample,whenstaffneedsomeonetowalkaroundinthesinglefemaleareatocheckinwithresidentswhomightbestrugglingemotionally,theycansearchintheirdatabaseforsocialworkersandcounselors,whoaremorelikelygoodatbuildingrapportandactivelylistening,particularlyinsuchashortperiodoftime.
Third,someareascouldusemorevolunteerstoserveasfloaters,greeters,and
mediators.Forexample,thefirstauthorultimatelydecidedtovolunteerinthesectionoftheshelterdesignatedforhandingoutdonationstoresidents,andtheareawouldhavebenefittedfrommanymorevolunteers.Evenintimeswhenfewresidentswerepickingupitems,thereweremanytasksforvolunteerstocomplete.Asfloaters,theycouldhelptoreorganizethediapersandclothesbysizes,rearrangethemessypilesofshoes,orjustwalkingaroundtogetfamiliarwiththeareaaspreparationforthenextroundofpickingupandpacking.Whenthepickuplinegrowsandresultsinlongerwaittimes,volunteerscouldactas“greeters”andcheckinwithresidentsastheywait.Duringthesecheck-ins,thevolunteerscouldcollectresidents’donationrequests,delivertherequeststothe“runner”whoretrievesitems,andexplainwhichinformationtheresidentswillneedtopresentatthedonationscheck-in.Takingthetimetoexplaintheprocessmaymakeresidentsfeelmorecomfortableandateaseastheybecomefamiliarwiththevariousprocessesoftheshelter.Thegreeters’conversationswiththewaitingresidentscanalsohelptoeasetheirnegativeemotionssuchasanxietyandangerresultingfromlongtimewaitingandothergeneralcomplications.
Thoughthesheltertriestoprovideasmanysupplies,resources,andservicesto
residentsaspossible,itwillinevitablyfallshortofexpectationsandcausefrustrationamongresidents.Forexample,runnersmightbeunabletoprovideastrollertoaresidentinneedbecauseallstrollershavebeenclaimedbyotherresidents,orcheck-involunteersaccidentallyfailtowritedownalltheitemsresidentsrequested.Aprofessionalwithmediationandde-escalationskillsmayprovideexcellentsupportastheyhelpresidentsproblemsolveinsuchcircumstances.Havingaprofessionalasathirdpersontoprovidemediationwouldhelplessskilledrunnersandbusycheck-involunteerstoreturntotheirstationsandcontinuedistributingitems,whiletheconflictscanbesolvedbysomeoneelse.Unfortunately,inthefirstauthors’experience,thedonationcenterexperiencedahighvolumeofresidentsinthepick-uplinewithtoofewskilledandunskilledstaffto
![Page 19: PERSPECTIVES ON SOCIAL WORK - University of Houston€¦ · Graduate College of Social Work, University of Houston Correspondence should be addressed to Alan Dettlaff, University](https://reader035.vdocuments.us/reader035/viewer/2022081400/5f1443bab4259d12ec7b4b2d/html5/thumbnails/19.jpg)
Zhou&Crawford,AFTERTHESTORM 18adequatelycontrolthearea,whilemanyothervolunteerswerestillwaitinginthelobbyfortheirassignments.Whenaccidentsoccurred,theinvolvedvolunteersincludingthefirstauthorhadtostopworkingtocomfortunsatisfiedresidents,causingthewaitanddissatisfactiontogrowexponentially.Thisexampledemonstratesthatevenshelterareasthatarenotspecificallydesignatedtomentalhealthorresourcesmaybenefitgreatlyfromthepresenceofprofessionalswhocanlendtheirskillstomaintainapeacefulenvironmentforresidentsandvolunteersalike.
Conclusions
ThedevastatingaftermathofHurricaneHarveyinHouston,TX,inspiredmanysocialworkers,includingthetwoauthors,tocontributetheirtimeandskillsthroughvolunteeringatlargelocalshelters.Socialworkersidentifiedopportunitiestovolunteerprimarilythroughsocialmediapoststhatinformedthemwhenandwheretheirskillswereneeded.Socialworkvolunteerscontributedmanyvaluableskillsattheshelters,includingempathy,listening,mediation,de-escalation,andproblemsolving.Theexperiencewasoftenrewarding,fulfilling,andfrustratingduetochangeableorganizationalfactors.Asclimatechangebecomesagrowingconcern,theneedforsocialworkerstomobilizeinfuturedisastersituationsisimminent.Tobestservethepeoplewhowillneedusmost,weneedtoensurethatwearepreparedtofullyutilizetheskillssocialworkersandotherprofessionalscanoffer.Shelterstaffshouldidentifytheprofessionals’specializedskillsandinterests,createandassigntasksthatarerelevanttothoseinterests,andusespecializedvolunteersincomplementaryroleswithgeneralvolunteerstomaximizeeffectiveness.Theserecommendationswillhelpsheltersusesocialworkers’uniqueskillset,andhelpsocialworkvolunteersfeelmorevalued,andencouragevolunteerstoreturntotheshelterforadditionalshifts.
ReferencesBruillard,K.(2017,August31).HowthechaosofHurricaneKatrinahelpedsavepetsfrom
floodinginTexas.TheWashingtonPost.Retrievedfromhttps://www.washingtonpost.com/news/animalia/wp/2017/08/31/how-the-chaos-of-hurricane-katrina-helped-save-pets-from-flooding-in-texas/?utm_term=.b59920256ab4
CityofHouston.[HoustonTX].(2017,August28).GEORGER.BROWNNEEDSLICENSEDMEDICALPROFESSIONALS,RNs&SOCIALWORKERS.Ifyoucansafelygetthere,go.FindTomMcCaslandheadofops[Tweet].Retrievedfromhttps://twitter.com/houstontx/status/902283771218558978
Collier,K.,Satija,N.,&Formby,B.(2017,August31).AsHarveyleavesTexasbehind,Houstonsheltersremainalifelineforthousands.TheTexasTribune.Retrievedfromhttps://www.texastribune.org/2017/08/31/houston-hurricane-shelters-remain-home-and-lifeline-thousands/
![Page 20: PERSPECTIVES ON SOCIAL WORK - University of Houston€¦ · Graduate College of Social Work, University of Houston Correspondence should be addressed to Alan Dettlaff, University](https://reader035.vdocuments.us/reader035/viewer/2022081400/5f1443bab4259d12ec7b4b2d/html5/thumbnails/20.jpg)
Zhou&Crawford,AFTERTHESTORM 19
ShuZhou,LMSW,isadoctoralteachingassistantandstudentambassadorattheGraduateCollegeofSocialWork,UniversityofHouston.ShehasreceivedtheFutureFacultyFellowship,GraduateTuitionFellowship,andthePresidentialScholarship.Ms.ZhoureceivedherBachelorofLawinSocialWorkfromCentralChinaNormalUniversityandherMSWwithMediationCertificatefromColoradoStateUniversity.SheisaLicensedMasterSocialWorkerintheStateofTexasandhasreceivedintensivetraininginchildwelfareandcasemanagementfromArizonaDepartmentofEconomicSecurityandArizonaStateUniversity.AsaninternationalstudentfromMainlandChina,Ms.Zhouhasbeencontributingherexperiencetopractice,researchandteachinginbothChinaandtheU.S.SheisacolumnistforfiveChinesesocialworkmagazinesandwebsites,andhaspublished22articlesinChinaSocialWork,atopsocialworkmagazineinChina.Currently,sheservesasaTeachingAssistantfortheMSWFoundationprogram.Ms.Zhou’sresearchinterestsarerelatedtochildwelfare,socialworkeducationandsupervision.
ClaireCrawford,LMSW,isamedicalsocialworkeratTexasChildren’sHospitalandasecond-yearPhDstudentintheDepartmentofHealthPromotionandBehavioralScienceattheUniversityofTexasHealthScienceCenteratHoustonSchoolofPublicHealthinHouston,TX.ShereceivedherMasterofSocialWorkdegreeattheUniversityofHoustonGraduateCollegeOfSocialWorkin2016withaspecializationinSocialSupportforChildrenwithPhysicalDifferences.Claireisdedicatedtopromotingtheintersectionofsocialworkandpublichealthtofacilitatehigherqualityoflifeamongvulnerablepopulations.Herresearchandpracticeinterestsincludesocialsupportinmedicalsettingsandmaternalchildhealth.
![Page 21: PERSPECTIVES ON SOCIAL WORK - University of Houston€¦ · Graduate College of Social Work, University of Houston Correspondence should be addressed to Alan Dettlaff, University](https://reader035.vdocuments.us/reader035/viewer/2022081400/5f1443bab4259d12ec7b4b2d/html5/thumbnails/21.jpg)
EditorialPolicy:
PerspectivesonSocialWorkisapublicationofthedoctoralstudentsoftheUniversityofHoustonGraduateCollegeofSocialWork.Submissionsareselectedbytheeditorsandeditedwiththestudent’spermission.Responsibilityfortheaccuracyoftheinformationcontainedrestssolelywiththeindividualauthors.Viewsexpressedwithineacharticlebelongtotheauthorsanddonotnecessarilyrepresenttheviewsoftheeditors,theGraduateCollegeofSocialWork,ortheUniversityofHouston.Allinquiriesand
submissionsshouldbedirectedto:
PerspectivesonSocialWorkGraduateCollegeofSocialWorkUniversityofHoustonHouston,[email protected]
![Page 22: PERSPECTIVES ON SOCIAL WORK - University of Houston€¦ · Graduate College of Social Work, University of Houston Correspondence should be addressed to Alan Dettlaff, University](https://reader035.vdocuments.us/reader035/viewer/2022081400/5f1443bab4259d12ec7b4b2d/html5/thumbnails/22.jpg)
![Page 23: PERSPECTIVES ON SOCIAL WORK - University of Houston€¦ · Graduate College of Social Work, University of Houston Correspondence should be addressed to Alan Dettlaff, University](https://reader035.vdocuments.us/reader035/viewer/2022081400/5f1443bab4259d12ec7b4b2d/html5/thumbnails/23.jpg)