Human Services Coordination in Disasters: An Interactive

Workshop

Washtenaw County, Michigan

Human Services Coordination in Disasters: An Interactive Workshop

• Welcome• Introductions• Administration• Agenda• Classroom Decorum• Participant-Instructor Contract

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Disaster Human ServicesWashtenaw County, Michigan

• Introductions –Activity• Working with a participant next to you,

interview each other by filling out the form on page 3.

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Human Services

• No single agency can do it all• Team approach– Lead Agency – most capable at task– Support Agencies – some capability at task

• Every community is different– …the perfect example is “Case Management”

• Community Action Network (CAN)• “Functional Needs” populations

– Disaster Recovery Centers (DRC)

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Case Management

• Assistance with:– Clothing– Education– Employment– Food– Healthcare– Mental Health– Homeless– Housing/Utilities

– Legal– Parenting– Family Reunification– Special Populations– Substance Abuse– Transportation– Veterans

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Volunteer Management

• Another commonality between human service providers…volunteers

• Most plan, train and exercise volunteers year-round• Disaster create a surge of goodwill and good intentions

through volunteerism• Unmanaged unsolicited or trained volunteers can be:

– Inefficient– Unhelpful– Unsafe

• Most common remedy are Volunteer Reception Centers (VRC)

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Volunteer Management(Volunteer Reception Center)

• Functions include:– VRC site selection & MOU's– Planning/Training/Exercising for:

• Site setup/preparation• Staffing• Registration• Volunteer training• Information• Communications• Volunteer matching• Assignments/accounting/reporting

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Donations and Acquired Resources

• Similarly unique to agencies as fundraising• Online donation networks– AidMatrix

• In some cases, donations do not meet needs– Use donated funds to acquire needed resources– Develop vendor lists to quickly acquire resources

• More about this later in “Donations Management”

Feeding Operations

• FEMA resource typing– Feeding kitchen typing

• Four (4) phases of emergency management– Response– Short-term recovery– Long-term recovery

• Leadership and resource availability may change with disaster phase

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Feeding Operations

• Functions include:– Facility selection & MOU's– Feeding MOU's – Vendor/provider ID/Agreements– Planning/Training/Exercising for:

• Site setup/preparation• Food delivery/storage/inventory• Food/meal production• Food/meal distribution• Fuel delivery/safe storage• Waste disposal• Safe/tested potable water/delivery/storage• Staffing

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• Information• Communications• Accounting/reporting/

procurement

Before we move on to Temporary Sheltering…

• Functional Needs Populations• Assistance with:– Healthcare

• Medically independence equipment• Caregiver accommodation

– Mental Health– Nutrition– Transportation– Language– Service Animals

• Medication• Hygiene

And Since We Just Mentioned Animals…

• Animals in Disasters…– Seven principle tasks:• Veterinary services• Pet/owner sheltering• Livestock/exotics placement• Stray/injured/dead animals• Animal feeding• Mosquito/insect control

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Temporary Shelter Operations

• Recognition of traditional shelter management agencies• The diversity of populations and the specifics of hazards can

dictate needed services for shelter occupants• Four (4) phases of emergency management

– Response– Short-term recovery– Long-term recovery

• Leadership and resource availability may change with disaster phase– Example: School systems

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Temporary Shelter Operations

• Functions include:– Facility selection & MOU's– Feeding MOU's – Vendor/provider ID/Agreements– Shelter kits prepared– Planning/Training/Exercising for:

• Shelter setup/preparation• Registration• Feeding• Dormitory• Information• Health Services • Mental Health Services

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• Client Services• Case Management

– Functional Needs

• Communications• Staffing• Support Services

Bulk Distribution

• Acquisition, inventory, storage, distribution of:– Goods and commodities

• Clean up supplies, basic household goods and food commodities• Can be supplemented by goods/commodities donations

– Staffed by volunteers and others• Often supplemented by VRC vetted volunteers• Un-skilled volunteers

– Logistics driven site selection and usage• Easy of quantity good/commodity movement/access• Either neighborhood or auto traffic pattern focused

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Bulk Distribution

• Functions include:– Facility selection & MOU's– Vendor/provider ID/Agreements– Planning/Training/Exercising for:

• Site setup/preparation• Goods/commodity delivery/storage/inventory• Goods/commodity distribution• Staffing• Information• Communications• Accounting/reporting/procurement

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Donations Management

• Monetary donations– Historically human service organizations manage their own fundraising

activities

• Non-monetary donations– Goods– Commodities (food)

• Basic staples• Non-perishables

• The challenge of donated goods/commodities– Historically small percentage of goods can be distributed

• Viability, safety of donated items• Undeterminable expiration of donated commodities

– Management costs of donated goods/commodities often exceed the value of the goods/commodities distributed

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Donations Management

• Functions include:– Facility selection & MOU's– Private sector donation agreements

– Planning/Training/Exercising for:• Site setup/preparation• Goods/commodity receipt/storage/inventory• Goods/commodity distribution• Staffing• Information• Communications• Accounting/reporting/procurement

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