Approaches to Practice in Emergency Contexts: Post-Disaster Outlook on Black Communities in Toronto

Throughout the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, the vulnerability of Black and other racialized communities in Canada emerged as a key concern for health and social service providers, policymakers, and researchers. A compounding of structurally generated inequalities affected income, access to health and social services, and susceptibility to contracting COVID-19. Black communities were a focal point that provided evidence to this disproportionate impact of the pandemic. This research presents findings of a grounded theory study of 20 front-line staff who provide social services at a Toronto-based agency. Utilizing a survey and in-depth interviews, the study explored how social service provisions to Black communities were understood and implemented and what the prospects were for future preparedness. Conceptually, a Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) logic and a resilience lens were utilized to examine the agency's capacity for developing sustainable partnerships with vulnerable communities, as framed by SDG 11-Sustainable Cities and (Inclusive and Resilient) Communities, and SDG 17-Sustainable Partnerships. Findings illustrate a sustainability challenge for supporting Black communities. The study recommends research on, and the utilization of practice models based on community-based resilience initiatives (CRIs) and an SDG logic in social service agencies to support interventions based on collaboration, inclusivity, and resilience in emergencies.