Professional Resilience of Social Workers in Civil Security and Defence Events

The concept and meaning of safety culture. Safety culture as a preventive mechanism and action strategy. Individual and collective perception of safety. Building a safety culture in various communities and institutions. Types of threats and their impact on individuals and communities. (Natural disasters: the impact of climate change, floods, earthquakes, fires. Armed conflicts: military conflicts, terrorism, availability of weapons. Man-made threats: industrial disasters, cybercrime, disinformation, polarization of society.) Social risks.

Resilience, day-to-day resilience, adaptation to potential threats. Resilience levels. Socio-ecological resilience: human-environmental interaction, environmental and public safety. Threats, perceptions of threats, individual perceptions, collective fears. Human behavior in crisis and threat situations. Social stress, communication and human management in times of increased stress.

Civil Protection (CP ) formation: structure, functions, operational activity. Management, logistics, operational support and social work functions. Position of social workers and role in the CP team, which also involves military and emergency services. The responsibilities and competences of the social worker, the necessary knowledge and skills for effective cooperation in the CA format.

A. The Van Breda resilience model and the application of its principles to social work in the organisation of social services. Key assumptions: resilience as a dynamic adaptation process, emphasis on adaptation and support systems, eco-systemic perspective - individuals, organisations and communities interact in times of crisis and change. Core components of the model: individual resilience, social resilience, structural resilience. Establishment of sustainable service organisations, implementation of preventive strategies.

Stages of the resilience cycle: preparation, absorption, recovery, adaptation and transformation. Their role in crisis management and preparedness. Skills of social workers to effectively plan and organize preparedness activities within the context of Civil protection.

Operational resilience in social work and its role in crisis management and threat situations. Use of social work skills to provide psycho-social, emotional and practical support. Operational resilience: the ability to maintain professional roles and functions during operational deployment.

1. Stress management: awareness of professional roles, controlling emotional engagement.
2. Rapid de-tension and psychological self-regulation techniques.
3. Recreational strategies.
4. Emotional resilience: balancing professional boundaries and emotional engagement, avoiding emotional overload and burnout.
5. Self-care techniques for reducing the risks of professional burnout?

Community response-self-organisation, involvement of local government and emergency services, coordination and allocation of resources. Community resilience indicators - factors affecting adaptation and recovery. (Example of Münsterland blackout) crisis experience in Latvia: the tragedy of Riga “Maksima”. Flood cases in Ogre and Yekabpils. Admission of Ukrainian refugees to Latvia.

The role of cooperation and partnership in crisis management in the context of communication and the use of IT tools. Inter-institutional cooperation as part of the safety net. Cooperation partners in crisis management: state, municipalities, NGOs, local communities, private sector. Digital technologies and efficient (rapid) exchange of information: Communication apps and social media; Warning systems and proactive crisis management; Data management and resource coordination; Data security and availability.

1. Continuity of social services: provision of social services (food supply, medical care, psychological support, etc.) in a situation where infrastructure is damaged.
2. Crisis communication and public mobilisation: coordinate the dissemination of information during a crisis situation.
3. Resolving conflicts and tensions: resolving conflicts between community members arising from lack of resources or stress.
4. Limiting disinformation: developing a strategy to prevent public disinformation and reduce the spread of panic.

1. Assessment of needs: to assess the needs of different groups of society in a crisis situation.
2. Building a voluntary network: how to engage and train volunteers for crises.
3. Work of the crisis management team: cooperation of social workers with rescue services, local government, non-governmental organisations, etc. to develop a joint action plan.
4. Evacuation and safety planning: drawing up an evacuation plan for groups of socially vulnerable persons.

Signs of professional burnout after prolonged crisis management. Use of self-care techniques to reduce the risk of professional burnout. Providing and receiving sleep when experiencing professional burnout.