SOCIAL WORK IN HEALTHCARE INSTITUTIONS AS A FACTOR OF HEALTH SYSTEM RESILIENCE DURING WAR

Abstract

The article explores the role of social work in Ukraine’s healthcare system during wartime as a factor of resilience, humanitarian assistance, and restoration of the social subjectivity of affected populations. It analyzes the functions of social workers within healthcare institutions, including organizing access to medical services, providing psychosocial rehabilitation, offering legal support to patients, assisting bereaved families, and facilitating the reintegration of veterans and internally displaced persons. Key directions for the development of medical and social work are highlighted: the formation of multidisciplinary teams, the construction of integrated support pathways, the integration of social functions into healthcare structures, and a focus on preventive community resilience. A multidisciplinary review of contemporary approaches is conducted, involving the works of L. Klos, N. Nazar, S. Gehlert, Z. Saxe Zerden, O. Semigina, and O. Stoliaryk. The study shows that social work in healthcare is no longer an auxiliary element but is becoming a strategic resource for maintaining the functional integrity of society during prolonged crises. The phenomenon of the medical poverty trap and the role of social workers in overcoming barriers to medical access are analyzed. The article substantiates the need for the institutional integration of social work into the healthcare system, the development of educational programs for multidisciplinary specialists, and the creation of a unified space for medical and social assistance. It offers a holistic vision of social work as a mechanism for restoring human integrity, community resilience, and societal stability during wartime and in the post-war recovery period.