History
History
Abstract
The Covid-19 pandemic has had an unprecedented effect on the world, and now, more than ever, health and social support services are being called upon as the pandemic’s added stressors affect mental health, relationships, families, childcare and education. In Canada, following the government’s “stay home” directive, practitioners of the health and social support services—including victim and emergency services, educational workshops, counselling, and group therapy—needed to adapt and change their delivery models in order to provide services online. As Canada faces its second and third waves of Covid-19, and as online service delivery becomes more prominent among practitioners, the question has emerged regarding the need to transition to online delivery and whether that has affected the quality of their work. Further, how have practitioners of health and social services adapted to the changes necessitated by COVID-19? To answer these questions, this study will seek to identify the benefits and challenges to the service delivery responses of health and social support services during the COVID-19 pandemic. We will present results of semi-directed interviews with practitioners from the mid-Vancouver Island region addressing specifically what has worked well, what has not worked, and what can be done to break down the barriers of those struggling to access services in the online environment. The results of this study will be beneficial to anyone offering online services during this time and going forward.
Emmerson Pollard, Danny Moisan, Hannah Sprague, and Osinowo Yusrah (Vancouver Island University students)