After the storm
Social work students’ experiences in disaster recovery and response following urban basement flooding
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21495694 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Joy Swanson Ernst (0009-0003-3416-9154, Wayne State University, corresponding author), Andre Iadipaolo (Wayne State University), Judith Wineman (Wayne State University), Anwar Najor-Durack (Wayne State University), Richard J Smith (0000-0002-6340-0656, Wayne State University), Richard Smith (0000-0001-9634-2918, Wayne State University) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 45 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 630-645 |
| Publication date | 2026-04-03 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Social Work Education (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0261-5479 • E-ISSN: 1470-1227 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/02615479.2025.2519316 |
| OpenAlex | W4411429098 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 26 |
Due to climate change, severe and intense precipitation events have increased and continue to disproportionately affect population groups living in areas where infrastructure is inadequate to address frequent heavy flooding and where people lack resources needed to address repeated damage. This paper presents the results of a process evaluation of a post-disaster collaboration between the US Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and a school of social work. A case management team of social work students assisted Detroit residents whose basements were flooded following heavy rains in June 2021. Students contacted 668 flood-affected residents whose applications to FEMA for disaster relief had been denied. The evaluation involved a student focus group and a review of meeting notes kept by project staff. Identified themes related to students’ motivation for participation, the adequacy of training, preparation, and support, experiences in helping residents, and social work skills developed. Insights for social work programs in preparing students to respond to climate-related disasters in marginalized communities include attention to the processes used when partnering with government agencies and other organizations to provide community service, how to prepare students to help individuals and communities respond to disasters, and changes needed in curriculum content and program focus
Archaeology · Basement · Disaster response · Emergency management · Geography · Hurricane katrina · Meteorology · Natural disaster · Political science · Psychotherapist · Sociology · Storm · Disaster Management and Resilience · Disaster Response and Management · Engineering · History · Homelessness and Social Issues · Law · Psychology · Social Work
Roles of Nonprofits in Disaster Response and Recovery
The impact of climate change and natural disasters on vulnerable populations
Rebuilding New Orleans
One size fits all? What counts as quality practice in (reflexive) thematic analysis
Social work competence in disaster management
Postdisaster Social Work
Postdisaster Social Work
From Disaster Response to Community Recovery
The opportunities and challenges of social work interventions in disaster situations
Community organizing for post-disaster social development
Environmental vulnerability and resilience
Navigating the “Bureaucratic Beast” in North Carolina Hurricane Recovery
Using thematic analysis in psychology
Let’s talk about the real issue
The Legacy Effect
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |