The Role of Social Workers in Natural Disasters with Emphasis on Earthquake

Our country is faced to many natural and unnatural disasters and accidents, and whenever across several years a horrible earthquake is caused to die many people and is caused numerous destructions. Many different organizations and people groups are involved in preventing these disasters and accidents, and if happened, they try decreasing it damages and causalities and rebuilding the damaged zones. What is especially the role of social workers and generally the social work profession in these events? How much have they had already a role, and ideally what roles can they play?Purpose of this article is examining and introducing the roles of social workers in natural disasters, especially in earthquake. Data resources: In this study, have been used internal and external resources about natural crises and disasters and the roles of social workers in them (including 12 Persian resources and 10 English resources). In this study, resources, articles, books and documents related with the subject were reviewed based on library and documentary method. The approach of social work to natural accidents and disasters that embrace a large part of population, is the crisis management, the community based crisis/disasters management, neighborhood self –relief, and community social work coordinated with other systems and organizations. Although, case work and group social work is used within community social work, social workers can play many roles both in macro level (general society and the damaged community), and in micro and meso level (about involved and damaged individuals and groups). Reviewing and analyzing these roles and being aware from them by both social workers themselves and the practicing organizations in crisis and relief and rescue management and also general public could result in the best useful from strengths and capabilities of social workers in this area.