The Essential Role of The Arts

March is “Social Work Month." I reactivated my license in 2020 (from the 1980s!), and so I'm taking a moment to look back on my now not-so-new social work practice. When I began the work a few years ago, I imagined I would be helping people navigate challenging health and medical situations, such as heart transplant and caring for aging family members. I have worked with many clients in each of these areas, but what I did not expect was the opportunity to work with several creative artists whose careers and financial well-being suffered a major setback due to the Covid pandemic. This has led me to reflect on the fragility of ​the sector and see a different version of "long Covid" that continues to disrupt the lives of those whose art, music, film, theater, and dance help nourish all of us. My role has been to help each of them get the necessary support and resources to put the non-artistic parts of their life back in order, so that they may, once again, find success in their work. #socialwork #arts #casemanagement #longCovid