The Value in Working with Needy Populations

The COVID-19 pandemic has transformed the way we communicate and work in all walks of life, including case management. Case managers must follow the guidelines, procedures, and policies in place to continue to provide first-rate services to individuals, particularly underserved communities. This is especially important for case managers serving vulnerable populations such as those receiving Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) benefits. In a comprehensive, well-researched article, Yolandra Plummer, PhD, concisely examines how case management can be effectively performed during and perhaps after a pandemic. She highlights the multitude of challenges case workers have faced during the pandemic that include maintaining work/life balance, managing time, ensuring client confidentiality and privacy, and utilizing technology to communicate. Dr. Plummer also includes an overview of the Paving Access Trails to Higher Security (PATHS) program for low-income families as well as several abstracts that examine the University of the District of Columbia's response to the pandemic as well as its work readiness programs that have, to date, provided training for more than 5,000 low-income individuals in the nation's capital. The Value in Working with Needy Populations is an article shared by an Associate Professor that examines how this important work has transformed during a global pandemic and ways to move forward.