Human Service Organizations in Times of the COVID-19

Introduction

This book explores the ramifications of the COVID-19 pandemic crisis on human service organizations from an international perspective. The pandemic is described as a disruptive extreme event that has resulted in extensive and intolerable physical, psychological, and material consequences for members and clients within human service organizations. The chapters in this volume highlight the need for organizations to strengthen their resilience, adapt to changing external circumstances, and continue to serve their missions effectively. They address the implications of a health and social pandemic on economic resilience, changes in work technologies, therapeutic intervention programs, human resources, organizational structure, and social media tools used by human service organizations. The eleven chapters of this volume cover seven countries representing diverse socio-political, cultural, and economic systems, ranging from the USA and the UK to Austria, Bangladesh, China, and Israel. The perspectives presented in these chapters offer a significant contribution to theory, research, and practice in the management of human service organizations during times of disruptive extreme events.

Publication Note

The chapters in this book were originally published in Human Service Organizations: Management, Leadership & Governance.