"Black Saturday" and its Aftermath: Reflecting on Postdisaster Social Work Interventions in an Australian Trauma Hospital

Abstract

Social workers at The Alfred, a major tertiary referral teaching hospital in Melbourne, Australia, played a key role in providing psychosocial support to patients and their families following the 2009 Black Saturday bushfires in the State of Victoria. Faced with the highest number of casualties ever admitted simultaneously, and the media and community involvement surrounding the national disaster, new practice challenges emerged that led to tensions when compared to everyday practice. This article examines three challenges identified in the team's critical reflections-managing privacy and publicity; negotiating the boundaries of professional practice; and managing the impact of the work. The..