Title: Social Work During Social Isolation: What We Can Learn from COVID-19 and How Older Adult Communities Responded

Description: The impact of social isolation on physical, mental, and social health is an international concern. For direct service providers and social workers, especially those working with older adults, it can be a community trauma. Therefore, it is imperative that we address the impact of social isolation and trauma on the communities in which we serve and live. This interactive workshop will do just that by presenting current research on social isolation and loneliness, the impact of trauma on communities to include not only social isolation but also social aggression, and brainstorming ways social workers can use resources developed in trauma informed care to heal. Participants will receive a copy of JF&CS' new guide, Creating Caring Communities: A Guide to Addressing Social Aggression in Older Adult Communities.

Speaker: Mary Curlew, LICSW

Mary Curlew, LICSW, is the Community Education and Training Specialist for Services for Older Adults at JF&CS. She is a Mental Health and Housing team member through JF&CS providing training and consultation for staff and residents in independent senior housing and related agencies. Mary has over 20 years’ experience providing mental health services and training in a variety of settings. Her specialties include trauma informed care, older adult behavioral health, caregiver support and holistic approaches to health care. Mary is a graduate of Boston College’s Graduate School of Social Work and has advanced training in Eye Movement Desensitization Movement Reprocessing (EMDR), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and mindfulness

Webinar Learning Objectives: 

• Learn research on the impact of social isolation due to COVID 19 over the past year as well as before the pandemic.

• Offer observations gained through Jewish Family & Children’s Service’s work with direct service providers on the impact not only of social isolation but also political tension and racial inequity on both service provider health and burnout as well as community health and resiliency

• Offer resource development and trauma informed tools to help social workers process and respond to their own mental wellness needs as well as the needs of their communities

This event is approved for 1.5 CEUs

$15 for NASW members / $30 for non-members

$10 suggested donation for discussion with no CEUs