Barriers and opportunities for nontraditional social work during COVID-19: Reflections from a small LGBTQ+ nonprofit in Detroit

COVID-19 has significantly changed individual lives and organizational structures throughout the world. Certain regions and populations, however, have experienced the effects of this global pandemic to a heightened degree. This article includes reflections from a small LGBTQ+ nonprofit in Detroit, a city with some of the starkest health and economic disparities in the United States. While COVID-19 has illuminated numerous barriers for LGBTQ+ older adults in Detroit, it has also revealed surprising ways that nontraditional social work is emerging. The experiences from this organization suggest that when faced with limited resources, LGBTQ+ community members and advocates have expanded their services in ways that mirror the work of many professional social workers, including interpersonal support; facilitated group discussions; direct services; program design, delivery, and coordination; community organizing; and research. Through these roles, community members are beginning to serve as nontraditional social workers to address the urgent and unmet needs of LGBTQ+ older adults and increase the visibility of this population during COVID-19.