Disaster Response Jobs in Social Work

The primary mission of disaster relief social workers is to support catastrophe victims and assist them in coping with and recovering from the event. Image from Pexels

Craig Hoffman September 30, 2022

You'll find disaster response social work jobs with a number of government agencies, like DHS and FEMA, state and local governments, and nonprofit organizations like the American Red Cross.

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According to the United Nations’ definition of emergency and disaster management, a crisis can be addressed locally; a disaster, in contrast, necessitates outside assistance. Hurricanes, for example, are often classified as disasters because the affected communities must seek aid from government agencies and nonprofit aid organizations outside their immediate area.

Due to the increased frequency and severity of natural crises and disasters resulting from climate change—and the intense media coverage they receive in our digital age—people’s awareness of these calamitous events is greater than ever. Disaster relief workers accordingly occupy a more prominent space in the public imagination.

It’s work worthy of the public’s appreciation. Emergency and disaster management professionals coordinate the response to cataclysmic events and, whenever feasible, implement planning that mitigates their impact. Their training enables them to anticipate hazards, respond to emergencies and disasters, and advocate for better disaster planning and response policies. Their ranks include social workers and others with extensive social work experience.

This article explores disaster response jobs in social work, as well as:

What is disaster response social work?
Top disaster response employers and jobs
Do I need a social work degree to work in disaster response?

What is disaster response social work?

The primary mission of disaster relief social workers is to support catastrophe victims and assist them in coping with and recovering from the event. Emergency management is crucial to achieving this objective. Early communication and planning for the coordination of community resources help avoid long-term social, physical, and mental health issues following the disaster. Emergency managers think of disasters as recurring events with four phases:

Mitigation
Preparedness
Response
Recovery

Mitigation

The term mitigation describes the improvement of the built and social environment to reduce, withstand or prevent disaster impacts, and includes:

Hazard analysis
Vulnerability assessment
Scenario development
Community engagement and education
Planning and infrastructure work

Disaster preparedness

Disaster preparedness refers to actions taken before a disaster with the intent of ensuring a better event response. Disaster preparedness involves:

Planning
Training and exercises
Logistics
Technology infrastructure
Agency and stakeholder coordination
Providing information and tools to citizens

This crisis intervention phase includes planning, training, and educational activities focused on mitigating the risks of a disaster and empowering local communities to act once the disaster happens. During this phase, social workers may educate local communities on the disasters unique to their region and help them develop preparedness plans for what to do, where to go, or who to ask for help. Additionally, they can play an important advocacy role to ensure that early warning and disaster management stays on local, state, and national policymakers’ agendas.

When some advance warning exists—as it does when, say, a hurricane approaches—social services typically focus on limiting the damage of the event through activities like stockpiling equipment and supplies, developing arrangements for evacuation, and coordinating mobilization plans with public health and emergency response workers.

(Written by Mairead Kelly)

Response

Disaster response consists of actions taken immediately before, during, and after an event to alleviate suffering and prepare for recovery. These include:

Establishing situational awareness
Evacuations and shelters
Responding to remaining hazard
Search and rescue
Mass care
Logistics response
Initiating recovery

Social workers offer a variety of relief services in the immediate aftermath of disasters. These usually center around their clients’ basic needs, and may include case management methods such as:

Arranging health care
Assisting in search and rescue aid
Helping people qualify for short-term emergency disaster assistance resources such as food programs
Identifying and providing additional services as needed

Social workers may work through state offices of emergency services or similar state agencies, as well as through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the primary federal coordinating agency for disasters. FEMA provides benefit programs such as temporary housing assistance, mortgage and rental assistance, emergency home repairs, and critical needs assistance.

Social workers called on for active disaster response also carry out various immediate mental health services to support disaster survivors. Psychological first aid (PFA), based on the premise that disaster survivors experience a broad range of early reactions, is designed to reduce the initial distress that’s typically felt during the initial aftermath of a disaster.

(Written by Mairead Kelly)

Recovery

Recovery is the rebuilding or improvement of disaster-affected areas and involves:

Debris management
Restoring essential services
Food and water
Temporary housing
Economic assistance
Insurance claims and rebuilding
Business aid

When a disaster strikes, social workers provide a range of relief services. Disaster response social workers also connect survivors with emergency mental health treatment. They offer psychological first aid (PFA), assess immediate concerns, and guide survivors to appropriate help and resources (PFA is not about providing on-site therapy). In addition, social workers assist victims in obtaining funding for home repair and replacement of other lost material.

To help inform their practice, some social workers perform research. This can involve reviewing how well certain services respond to a community’s needs, how laws and policies affect a particular area, and the long-term repercussions of trauma caused by disasters.

“I’M READY FOR A DEGREE!”

University and Program Name	Learn More
Virginia Commonwealth University: Online Master of Social Work

Top disaster response employers and jobs

There are many federal agencies, state and local governments, and international and domestic nonprofit organizations that employ social workers who specialize in disaster response.

Department of Homeland Security

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is a large federal agency that maintains a 240,000-strong workforce and includes U.S. Customs, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), the U.S. Coast Guard, and the U.S. Secret Services. DHS is responsible for providing prevention and response services to protect the public, environment, and U.S. economic and security interests. The agency provides training and technical assistance in a wide variety of public and private initiatives in fire prevention, community response teams, and other first responder services. As well, they “work with all levels of government, the private and nonprofit sectors, and individual citizens to make our nation more resilient to acts of terrorism, cyber attacks, pandemics, and catastrophic natural disasters.” The agency offers numerous disaster response-related positions.

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)

DHS also houses FEMA, the federal government’s disaster recovery agency. Of the more than 11,000 people that FEMA employs, only a small proportion are permanent, full-time employees. Part-time or contract-type personnel provide many of the services needed during an actual disaster (you can search FEMA jobs here). They also maintain several volunteer positions. FEMA interfaces with organizations like the American Red Cross and National Guard, as well as with public health organizations at the state, county, and local levels.

State and local governments

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, state and city and county governments oversee most disaster relief jobs. Almost 70 percent of Emergency Management Directors work for local or state disaster agencies or similar departments. Between 2017 and 2026, this specialized field is forecast to grow by over 7 percent.

American Red Cross

Most people are familiar with the American Red Cross, a vital organization that provides support to individuals and communities after a disaster. Their Disaster Cycle Services team manages emergency response, relief, and recovery efforts during natural disasters, fires, and more. They coordinate the delivery of Red Cross mission services to people and communities in need.

Domestic and international aid organizations

There are dozens of agencies in the U.S. and abroad that provide disaster response career options. Organizations like Habitat for Humanity, UNICEF, Project HOPE, and Oxfam often occupy the front lines of disaster relief efforts, providing medical aid, food, water, clothes, and shelter for victims of ongoing emergencies and natural disasters around the world.

Do I need a social work degree to work in disaster response?

Entry- and mid-level jobs in social work disaster response are open to candidates with a relevant bachelor’s degree (typically a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW)). To advance in the field and become a manager, you may need to earn a Master of Social Work (MSW) with an emergency or disaster management concentration. Tulane University’s School of Social Work offers an online, dual degree MSW and Master of Science in Disaster Resilience Leadership (MS-DRL) program that prepares social workers with interdisciplinary training in disaster resilience. Tulane’s graduates work in:

Emergency preparedness
Nonprofit leadership
City planning
Disaster management, risk, and recovery
Grassroots development
Hazard mitigation
Monitoring and evaluation
Sustainability

Many programs also offer a variety of hands-on fieldwork or placement opportunities. These real-world experiences require students to practice what they learn in the classroom under seasoned professionals’ supervision in the field. During this period, it’s also common for students to participate in a field seminar that allows them to discuss their experience and address any professional, ethical, policy, and practice concerns.

(Written by Mairead Kelly)

For some disaster response social work positions, additional credentials like the Certified Emergency Manager and Certified Business Continuity Professional certificates may be necessary or desirable. As well, there is a host of free disaster preparedness classes offered by FEMA.

There are a variety of professional and continuing education certification options available for social workers who specialize in responding to the emotional needs of people affected by disaster. They include:

Certified Disaster Mental Health Responder (DMH) from the American Red Cross
Certified Advanced Social Work Case Manager (C-ASWCM) from the National Association of Social Workers (NASW)
Certification in Trauma Response and Crisis Intervention from the School of Social Work at Rutgers University – New Brunswick
Trauma certification from the School of Social Work at Michigan State University
Advanced Certificate in Trauma and Disaster Mental Health from the Institute for Disaster Mental Health at the State University of New York at New Paltz
Disaster and Collective Trauma certification from Tulane University of Louisiana

(Written by Mairead Kelly)

Many disaster response professionals gain knowledge about the various aspects of relief work through their employment, volunteer activities, or experience in related fields. Serving in the military, protective services, or in some healthcare professions like EMTs and paramedics helps prepare you for responding to large-scale emergencies.

(Last Updated on July 16, 2024)

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