The professional work of social workers in context of a COVID-19 pandemic.

Approaches around the construction of professional autonomy in health institutions

Abstract

We propose to characterize aspects of the professional work of social workers in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, specifically during the year 2020 and focusing on the possibilities of building professional autonomy.

We conceive the reflective and collective pause as a necessary instance to build greater professional autonomy, since the meeting and dialogue allow us to share strategies, print directions and ways to collectively direct interventions, resistances and struggles for the materialization of rights.

The time-space cut mentioned above responds to changes in work processes in the context of a pandemic, without ignoring issues that go beyond its emergence. Therefore we try to outline central aspects around the contemporary societal crisis, its relationship with the pandemic and professional work.

To address the proposed topic, we take up reflections of colleagues who work in health institutions in an average city in the province of Buenos Aires and in the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires around: their socio-professional spaces, limitations, possibilities and current challenges. Said reflections were shared in the “Cycle of Dialogues from the experience in pandemic contexts: State, Social Policies and Professional Practices. Realities and challenges”, convened by the chairs of Social Work 1 and State and Social Policy of the Lic. In Social Work, FCH, UNCPBA during November 2020.