Disaster ResponseJill Spitzer, ACSW, LCSWChief Executive OfficerJewish Family Service of San Diego

•Macro •Micro

Many similaritiesMany differences

Multiple considerations

Can’t anticipate every situation butMust prepare for every contingency

DISASTER RESPONSE

MACROCommunity based response

• Natural disaster (Earthquake, Fire, Flood, Landslide, etc.)

• Man-made disaster (Terrorist attack)

• Local Crisis (School shooting, isolated fire)

• Crisis counseling (Local community tragedy)

MICROAgency Specific• Physical or psychological injury to

people; • Agency operations impacted; • Damage or destruction of facilities; • Financial loss; and • Spillover effects from something

that has affected some other person or agency.

STAGES OF DISASTER RELIEF

• Immediate Response

• Initial Response (Month 1)

•Recovery (Months 2-3)

•Re-Building (Ongoing)

INITIAL RESPONSE

• Reallocation of staff resources• Case management & crisis

intervention• Address immediate needs of survivors

– Food, clothing, gas, rent provisions, assistance with bills

– Unexpected disaster-related expenses

• Outreach and information regarding – Disaster related benefits and services– How to talk to kids about trauma

• Limited financial assistance• Housing assistance

INITIAL RESPONSE ISSUES

• Staff to cover phones, assistance centers, agency services

• Survivor needs – including JFS staff• Management of volunteers – what

to do with them, vetting, etc. and recruitment of mentors

• Donation Management – both taking in and giving out, includes tracking cash, gift cards, in-kind

NEEDS & CONSIDERATIONS• Information management – internal

and external• Information updates – web, e-mail,

800 number• Huge volume of telephone calls –

asking for help and offering help• Things for people to do!

RECOVERY

• Ongoing case management, counseling, crisis intervention, telephone contact, and resources and information

• Advocacy and resource management– Insurance, rebuild and county upgrades

• Financial Assistance• Grants/Participation at Unmet

Needs Table • Housing, furniture, I&R for

replacements

RE-BUILDING

• Counseling and Case Management

• Insurance related advocacy

• Limited Financial Assistance

• Grants– Replacement of uninsured personal and

professional property/tools of livelihood– Specific needs like rental subsidies,

furniture and household item replacement

COMMUNITY DISASTER RESPONSE

• Disaster Determination– Work hours, after hours or weekend

• Notification of key staff• Communication to all staff re:

agency expectations• Welfare check - staff, clients, board

members, volunteers and others (includes sister agencies)

• Prep disaster supplies (food and hygiene bags)

• Prepare for Disaster Response

ROLESWITHIN THE AGENCY:• Overall Coordination• Team Leaders• Response Staffing – existing staff,

new staff, redeployment of staff

EXTERNALLY IN THE COMMUNITY:• Jewish Community• Community-at-large

Disaster Response Teams

• Client ServicesAll case management and mental health responses

• Volunteer ServicesEmbrace-a-Family, Thanksgiving Baskets, donation collections, etc.

• Staff and BoardBoard volunteers and Staff impacted by program closures working on disaster related efforts

• Communications and DonationsWebsite updates, media requests, donations management, dedicated 800 number, advertisements

Services

• Crisis Intervention

• Assessment

• Case management

• Counseling to help those devastated by the trauma and loss – individual, couples, group and play therapy

Services...

• Financial Assistance:

Gift cards (Target, Gas, Grocery, Home Depot, other department stores) to help with short-term needs such as food, personal hygiene items, home furnishings, and gas;

Emergency checks to third party

vendors, for rent, mortgage payments, funeral expenses, utility bills, deep cleaning, and other various bills.

Groceries and personal hygiene products

Services...• Telephone contact, and information and referral

• Outreach and information to schools regarding how parents and teachers can talk to youth about trauma

• Housing Assistance

• Acquisition of material goods (clothing, food, furnishings, and other home goods)

• Accessing benefits (disaster-related, as well as SSI, Medi-Cal, Food Stamps, Section 8)

• Assistance with medical care and legal services

Services...

• Coordination of volunteer efforts, including donations of housing, food, and other goods, mentoring, advocacy, Thanksgiving baskets, Holiday Embrace-a-Family, etc.

• Monthly forums that include topics such as negotiating with insurance companies, legal matters, tax matters, as well as providing “how to” information such as dealing with FEMA, avoiding unscrupulous contractors, removing debris, etc. These forums serve as a mechanism for clients to receive information, share experiences and support one another.

Services...

• Grants to survivors to help with specific needs in order to improve the quality of life for the applicant -equipment to help people return to work, rental subsidies, purchase of furniture or other household goods, etc.

SPECIALTY FOCUS

• Special Needs/Older Adult Case Manager

• Communications/Volunteer Coordinator

• Jewish Specific Programming

Services Targeted to Jewish Community• Hanukkah in a Box• Passover Packages• Summer BBQ• Dinner in the Sukkah• Community Forums• Support Groups• Weekly E-Mail• A Night of Light and Reflection• $1,800 gift• Development of interest free loan

program• Recruitment of Professionals with

disaster experience - lawyers, insurance specialists and adjusters, accountants and tax planners, financial advisors, contractors and architects, etc.

OTHER CONSIDERATIONS

• Easily adaptable to other issues or crises

• Scalable– One time only response– School shooting, 9/11, 2003 Fire,

Katrina Response, 2007 Wildfires– Economic Crisis Response

• Long-Term Disaster Preparedness– Disaster kit to take to Recovery Centers– Give away items: notepads, pens, tote

bags

• Jewish Community Partners