TOPIC: Social Work Digitalization: Case of Ukraine
Bio:
Oksana Boiko, an Associate Professor, Chair of the Department School of Social Work named after Professor Volodymyr Poltavets at the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy (NaUKMA), in Kyiv, Ukraine. Her research interests are: international social work; social work and mental health; strengthening community resilience. She is the first in Ukraine holder of PhD in Social Work, has significantly contributed to development of national educational and professional standards for social work in Ukraine. She has been a member of National MHPSS Technical Working Group in Ukraine for the last 7 years, a WHO trainer on MhGAP, WHO Ukraine Consultant, National community crisis trainer and manager. Since February 2022 Oksana Boiko has been a lead coordinator from Ukraine for the Initiative for Support and Solidarity with Social Work Educators from Ukraine (by the support of IASSW, EAsrSSW, EASSW).
She has over twenty-two years’ experience of working as a researcher, a coordinator, an expert, a trainer in various national and international projects on social work research, education and training, mental health and psychosocial support, community crisis management, international social work. She has published extensively on social work education, international social work, community crisis networking, social work and mental health, including academic and practice manuals.
Abstract:
The presentation will explore the specific of digital social work in few years before and during the full-scale war in Ukraine. Various patterns of social work digitalization will be explored, including the concept of the National Register of social services providers and users, a subsystem of the Unified Information System in social sphere, digital platform E-Support and others. Implications of introducing e-service in Ukraine will be explored in relation to challenges for social workers’ skills and competences, barriers and challenges for social work clients. Major common ethical and human rights issues resulted from digital social work in Ukraine in humanitarian and organizational contexts during the war will be discussed. Implications for social work education, research, policy and practice will be explored.