Relevance. The relevance of the study lies in the fact that modern society faces many external challenges and threats, such as socio-economic difficulties, conflicts, natural disasters, migration, and others. These challenges can lead to an increase in the need for support, assistance and social adaptation of various categories of the population. Purpose. The purpose of the study is to consider and analyse the best methods of providing assistance and support in crisis and emergency situations to vulnerable groups of the population. Methodology. The study used the analytical method, systematization, and generalization. Results. According to the results of the study, modern external challenges pose the task of introducing new tools and approaches for working with different categories of the population to social workers and social sector specialists, so adaptation to new realities is becoming an integral part of successful social work. This study found that the digital competence of social workers is an important component of their professional training. Skills in the online environment, in particular, have become critical for the provision of social services and client support. The study found that innovations in the training of social workers, such as the use of virtual reality (VR), digital simulations and other technologies, contribute to improving the quality of training and the readiness of specialists to work with different categories of the population. Conclusions. According to this study, social security includes physical, emotional and psychological well-being and promotes self-realization. Understanding these aspects is key to effective work with different categories of people in the face of external challenges. The study can be useful for researchers to modernize curricula and provide students with relevant skills and knowledge that will be useful in their future careers. Keywords: human safety; communication; professional training; digital tools; immersive technologies