Disaster Case Management
Presented by
Pam Garrison
Florida Conference of The United Methodist Church
Gabe Tischler
Catholic Charities of Florida, Inc.
Goal
• Common understanding and language for
Disaster Case Management (DCM)
• Importance of DCM for whole community
recovery
• Critical role of emergency management in
facilitating and supporting DCM
2015 FEPA Annual Meeting
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Agenda
• Overview of Disaster Case Management
• When and How DCM comes together – the
crucial link to long term recovery
• Who should be involved
• Challenges and Opportunities
• Partnering with Emergency Management
2015 FEPA Annual Meeting
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Background
• VOADS/COADs
– Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster
– Community Organizations Active in Disaster
• Local, state, national
• 4 “C’s”
– Cooperation
– Communication
– Coordination
– Collaboration
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• Purpose:
“…serves as the forum where organizations
share knowledge and resources throughout
the disaster cycle — preparation, response,
recovery and mitigation — to help disaster
survivors and their communities.”
• Committees
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BACKGROUND
• Disaster Case
Management Guidelines
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Encourage best practices and mutual accountability
Engage in a coordinated, inclusive approach
Foster trust, mutual respect and equal partnerships
Provide a common language and shared
understanding
– Promote quality case management services to clients
• Points of Consensus
2015 FEPA Annual Meeting
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• Voluntary Organizations play a unique role in
the recovery of individuals and families
– Complement services provided by governmental
agencies
– Deliver DCM services in fulfillment of their
missions with respect for and knowledge of the
local community
First Step:
Disaster Case Work
• Collect basic information
• Meet immediate,
emergency needs
• Interim plan
• Screen
• Transition to
Case management?
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Process of DCM
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Outreach and screening
Intake for case management services
Assessment
Recovery planning
Advocacy
Monitoring progress
Closure
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Primary Distinctions
• Short-term relationship
• Doesn’t require continuity of care from the
same caseworker
• Often initiated in the relief phase
• Typically focuses on immediate, urgent and/or
transitional needs
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What is DCM?
Traditionally Disaster Case Management has
been defined as a service provided to assist a
disaster-affected individual or family to develop
and execute their personal plan for long term
recovery
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What is DCM?
“Disaster Case Management is a partnership between the case
manager and the client in the development of a Disaster
Recovery Plan. The process involves assessing needs based on
verified disaster damage, developing a goal-oriented plan that
outlines all necessary steps to achieve recovery, organizing and
coordinating the information on the available resources that
match the disaster caused needs, monitoring the progress
towards reaching the stated goals and, when necessary, acting
as an advocate for the client.”
Florida Catastrophic Planning Project
July 2009
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DCM is…
• Time-limited process – up to 1 year or
longer
• Skilled helper
• Partners with survivor
• Plan for and achieve
realistic goals
for recovery
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Why DCM?
• Psychology of disaster survivors
– Confused
– Traumatized – shock
– Disillusioned
– Depressed
– Angry
– Unrealistic expectations
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Why DCM?
• Challenges faced by disaster survivors
– Survivors face a puzzling array of assistance
programs, acronyms, forms to complete
– At the mercy of helpers – who may or may not
have their best interests in mind
– Privacy and independence compromised
– Long complicated forms to complete
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Hope
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Provide guidance, stability
Opportunity to take control of their recovery
Clarify information
Explain options
Assist with realistic expectations
Help survivor navigate the disaster world
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Goal
Move the survivor from where they are as a
result of the disaster to where they want to be
Disaster Case Manager
• What are the needs of the survivor as a result
of the disaster?
• Review and assess resources
– What do they have
– What do they need
• Serve as a primary point of contact
• Rely on the client to play an active role in their
recovery
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Successful DCM
• Needs a coordinating structure or
organization
• Long term recovery group or committee –
community stakeholders
• Unmet needs table
• Leadership commitment to whole
community recovery
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When does it begin?
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DCM Begins…
• When people are displaced and disastercaused needs are evident
• Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) or Essential
Services Center (ESC): opportunity to initiate
Information and Referral (I&R) and case work
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Federally-Declared Sequence of
Delivery
Undeclared Disaster Sequence
of Delivery
Sequence of Service Delivery
Emergency Assistance
Private Insurance
FEMA Assistance
Other Federal/State
Assistance
Unmet Needs:
Faith-Based Organizations
Transition to
Long-Term Recovery
• Long-Term Recovery (LTR) forms in
response to those unmet needs
• LTR provides
– Money
– Muscle
– Materials
– Minds
• Needs Driven – NOT Resource Driven
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Timeline for LTR
• Needs driven
– some unmet needs
– Significant unmet needs
• Community driven
– Relationships/politics of the community
– Organization of volunteer groups
– Community Resources
• Should never be resource driven!
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Timeline
• Begin case management as early as 3-6
months in a well-organized community
• 6-12 months to begin case management is not
unusual
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Challenges
• Accurately identifying unmet needs
– Assessments
– FEMA registrations – if applicable
– Sharing of information
• Convening community stakeholders
• Identifying resources – including funding
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Challenges
• Recruiting & training Case Managers
• Allowing the process to unfold without
losing the sense of urgency
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Emergency Management
• Mission of Florida DEM
Working together to ensure that Florida is prepared
to respond to emergencies, recover from them, and
mitigate against their impacts.
• Director’s Standing Orders
1. Take care of the needs of survivors.
2. Take care of the needs of responders.
3. When in doubt, re-read number one
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Emergency Management
Focus
• Day-to-day emergencies
• Immediate, urgent needs
• Disasters bring new responsibilities
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Emergency Management has a vital
role to play in initiating, facilitating
and encouraging long term recovery
in their community.
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Opportunities
• Engage with local VOAD/COAD
– Participate to train, learn, support
– Guide from experience
– Build relationships
– Represent government
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Opportunities
• Facilitate information sharing
– Refer survivors to resources
– Assist survivors in accessing resources
• Facilitate information sharing with VOAD
organizations
– Clarify and verify assessment data
– Identify unmet needs
– Assist in determining need for long term
recovery
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Opportunities
• Assist in establishing long term recovery
– Encourage community participation
– Help identify community stakeholders
– Help identify and solicit resources – including
funding and leadership
– Support efforts to raise awareness in the
community
– Advocate to state EM and FEMA
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Opportunities
• Assist in removing barriers to recovery
– Connecting the LTR to the appropriate agency
– Brokering relationships when appropriate
– Understanding building codes
– Guidance in supporting the local mitigation
strategy
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“Take Aways”
• Disaster Case Management is vital to long
term recovery
• Emergency Management is an essential
partner in long term recovery
• Our resolve
– Support EM
– Partner with EM to complete recovery
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29th Annual Governor’s Hurricane Conference®
May 10 – 15, 2015
Rosen Shingle Creek Orlando, Florida
TS 27 It’s a Case for Case Management
Tuesday, May 12, 8:30 – 5:00
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Contact Information
Pam Garrison
Gabe Tischler
Disaster Recovery Ministry
Florida Conference of The
United Methodist Church
(800) 282-8011 Ext. 148
pgarrison@flumc.org
Emergency Management Specialist
Catholic Charities of Florida, Inc.
(850) 206-6821
gtischler@flacathconf.org
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