Managing Social Work “Need Complex” During the COVID-19 Pandemic

by Elizabeth J. Clark, PhD, ACSW, MPH

     We are in the midst of a pandemic. It is a situation that most of us have never experienced. Additionally, as a profession, we are always resilient and resourceful, and it is difficult to be so limited in what we can offer and what we can do. We rarely give up or give in, and we take pride in helping those who need help. We always go that extra mile, so we are off-kilter when we can't do our jobs, or when we feel we are unable to provide needed services. 

     In 2018, I wrote an article for The New Social Worker called "Social Workers, Need Complex, and Professional Burnout." In it, I addressed “need complex” as the belief that you and your interventions are indispensable. This is often a clear symptom of burnout. It means you have lost perspective and you are blurring the boundaries of the professional and personal because you feel so needed. The concept of "need complex" seems like an important topic to revisit during this current crisis of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

     Witnessing the great needs of so many people is daunting. No one, including our government and public health officials, seems to know what to do. We are struggling with no clear guidelines and growing uncertainty. Social workers everywhere are trying to find a way forward in the chaos. 

     You may be ordered to work from home, and there will be many clients who can't use technology such as video chats or telehealth. Checking in by phone may be an option. Regardless, you need to resist the urge to make "just one more quick home visit" or meet with the client face to face "just one more time." If you find yourself thinking about disregarding agency policies or government regulations, stop, and once again, recognize that this meets the definition of "need complex" - when you think you are so needed that you are willing to flaunt the rules and work outside the legal system, even putting yourself (and others close to you) at a health risk. 

     If you are a manager or supervisor, you may be struggling with the added burden of continued funding, paying staff, and even keeping your doors open. Those are still not reasons to ask your employees to break rules or laws or put themselves at personal risk. Be certain this is not a message you are sending, even inadvertently. Your services and your agency may be greatly needed by the community, but buying into the "need complex" can result in unacceptable risk for staff and professional calamity for you and your agency. 

     The following are a few suggestions for managing "need complex" in these troubled times:

• First and foremost, you have an obligation - both personal and professional - to protect your own health as well as the health of those you come in contact with, whether loved ones, friends, clients, front-line workers, or clerks. Self-care is essential to social work practice. 
• Stay current with the news, with regulations, and especially with any changes in professional guidelines, such as offering telecounseling across state lines or the need for some waivers regarding privacy. Also, check the resources available from your professional associations. NASW, for example, has excellent resources online.
• Maintain a positive outlook, and take a longer vision. You may not be able to provide needed services today, but you can plan for the future so you can be ready once the situation changes.  
• We are a profession that champions volunteerism. If it is possible and safe, offer your services where you can. Perhaps you can help staff a hotline or help deliver meals or provide some other sanctioned services. Do not let your “need complex” steer you in the direction of wrongly thinking you should be the hero.
• Reach out to others, including colleagues, but don't discuss only the negatives. Hope begets hope, and hopelessness begets helplessness. Social work is the profession of hope, and our collective hope is needed now, more than ever, in this chaotic and uncertain time. 

 Dr. Elizabeth (Betsy) Clark is the past CEO of NASW. She is President of the Start Smart Career Center (www.startsmart.org) and author of a book on hope called Choose Hope (Always Choose Hope). She is a frequent contributor to The New Social Worker.