Identifying human remains following an air disaster: the role of social work

An area of disaster response with high risk of inducing trauma in response workers is recovering and identifying human remains. Following a review of the literature addressing the significant stressors associated with handling dead bodies, we present a case study which describes professional social work intervention and support to disaster response workers and volunteers assigned to the morgue following a major air disaster. A primary task was helping workers cope with the unique stresses associated with recovering dead bodies. Opportunities for social workers to use their professional skills for disaster response work is discussed along with recommendations for social work education.