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In just a few weeks, we’ll be doing a (delayed) launch of the national Social Work Health Futures Lab due to Covid-19 (like so many).
Although we have been busy getting things ready behind the scenes for months – our official start is a little later than intended. In preparation for those wishing to get involved/apply – I’ve pulled some futures-oriented creative thinking resources together to stimulate idea building! Stay tuned for more to come – but in the mean time – please explore (most of these have appeared on this website in the 18 months, but have been revised for this entry). Watch this space for news and announcements including the launch a new Social Work Health Futures website and application process.
What if social workers – dedicated to improving well-being and health in all its forms – were futurists? What would we do? How would we do it? What tools, techniques, theories or frameworks would we use? How would we balance the so often urgent needs we encounter and are often responsible for addressing – with longer term horizons and a deep responsibility to not only react to current events, but to work in community to shape a better future for all?
Soon, we’ll have a chance to explore these questions and many more. For now – dive in and think about your own social work practice. What is the future of (your) area of focus? Who gets to decide that? What is the future of social work itself?
Looking forward to continuing to learn together and building what comes next.
The future of health equity – a curated annotated bibliography
Short films to boost your futures literacy
Governments using/adopting foresight and futures frameworks
New words in futuring: Alphabet of futures thinking
A social work futurist goes to a future of medicine conference – download
Big ideas for future thinking – social change palooza!
Epistemic injustice tools and ideas for better futures
Police abolition: A futures lens
Organizations doing futures/foresight work
Webinars/Interviews – Laura Nissen and social work futures
Social Work and the Future in a Post-Covid 19 World: A Foresight Lens and a Call to Action for the Profession – Article by Laura Nissen
Social Work Futures 