Reflections of a South African Social Work Academic and Practitioner During COVID-19: Managing Family, Work, and Personal Dynamics

At the microlevel, families were affected as the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted life for many. The mandate to work from home by the South African government resulted in family transitions that rearranged dynamics in the family setting, with families experiencing various challenges balancing personal, family, and work life. These experiences also affected social work professionals in practice. Social work professional practice has a key component of self-reflection wherein the analysis of what one does, thinks, and feels is important to learn from, with the aim of improving practice. Through a reflective lens, the chapter therefore documents the challenges of a social work academic and practitioner managing family, work, and personal life during COVID-19. It highlights the importance of reflectively analyzing how these dynamics can encroach on social work services and elaborates on their implications for practice.