Vision in the making

1. Vision in the making LesleyAnne Ezelle Region 10 Disability Integration Specialist

2. Outline • Brief background on Region 10 • Office of Disability Integration and Coordination and Regional Disability Integration Specialists • Definitions and percentages • My Background and Beliefs • Working towards Whole Community

3. FEMA Region 10

4. FEMA Mission “FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.” 4

5. FEMA Regional Boundaries

6. FEMA Region 10 • Service Area: • Alaska • Idaho • Oregon • Washington • Office Locations: • Bothell/Lynnwood / Woodinville • Alaska Area Office • Customers: • States • Local Governments • Tribal Nations (>300 entities) • Individuals

7. Federal Coordinating Officers (FCOs) FEMA Region 10 Regional Advisory Council (RAC) Defense Coordinating Element (DCE) Office of the Regional Administrator Kenneth D. Murphy Regional Administrator Dennis A. Hunsinger Deputy Regional Administrator External Affairs PK White, Acting Alaska Area Office National Preparedness Division Patrick Massey Federal Preparedness Coordinator & NP Division Director Patrick Marcham Deputy Division Director Response Division Lon Biasco Division Director John Sneed Deputy Division Director Mitigation Division Mark Carey Division Director Mark Eberlein Reg. Environmental Officer Mission Support Division Bryant Harrison Division Director Grant Programs Division Richard Donovan Division Director Recovery Division Charles Axton Division Director Jean Chaney Deputy Division Director Regional Integration Branch Joseph Hesbrook Public Assistance Branch Denise Yandle Operations Branch Jackie Gladish Hazard Mit Branch Chris Jonientz-Trisler Admin Services Branch Kelli Accetturo Planning Branch Vince Makovich Information Tech Branch Thomas Hall Floodplain Mgt & Insur Branch Mark Riebau Planning & Assessments Branch Vince Cacanindin Individual Assistance Branch Christy Grant Logistics Branch Gretchen Martinsen Risk Analysis Branch Ryan Ike Tech Hazards Branch Bill Webb Emergency Comm Branch Terry Knight

8. The FEMA Workforce ▪ The FEMA Administrator is appointed by the President, confirmed by Congress, reporting to DHS Secretary • 4,250 authorized full-time permanent employees ▪ Approximately 12,000 on-call disaster assistance employees

9. Emergency Management Philosophy The Public is a Resource (not a liability) Everyone in FEMA is an Emergency Manager Take Care of Survivors Emergency Management Philosophy Determine Response by Outcomes Define what Recovery means 9

10. Whole Community • “…experience has taught us that we must do a better job of providing services for the entire community, regardless of their background, demographics, or challenges. This means planning for the actual makeup of a community, making sure we meet the needs of every disaster survivor regardless of age, economics, or accessibility requirements.”

11. Whole community • “…Addressing these related concerns cannot be achieved by simply improving on what we have always done – we must fundamentally change how we go about disaster preparedness, response, recovery and mitigation, involving the communities we serve directly in these efforts. We must look beyond the traditional, “government-centric” approach to emergency management and embrace a philosophy and operational posture that leverages, and serves, the Whole Community.”

12. Whole Community • Expanding partnerships. • Partnership with community groups. • Looking beyond the traditional approach. • Integrating the needs of all people in the response, recovery, planning and mitigation.

13. Whole Community: Functional and Access needs • “This means planning for the actual makeup of a community, making sure we meet the needs of every disaster survivor regardless of age, economics, or accessibility requirements.” Involves everyone in the process, not just some, but everyone…..

14. Regional Disability Integration Specialist • The role of the ODIC is to provide guidance, tools, methods, and strategies to integrate and coordinate emergency management efforts to meet the access and functional needs of all citizens, including children and adults with disabilities. • 10 Specialists located within a Region • ODIC: Office of disability integration and coordination

15. National Response Framework • “…populations whose members may have additional needs before, during, and after an incident in functional areas, including but not limited to: maintaining independence, communication transportation, supervision, medical care. Individuals in need of additional response assistance may include; those who have disabilities; who live in institutionalized settings; who are elderly; who are children; who are from diverse cultures; who have limited English proficiency or are non-English speaking; or who are transportation disadvantaged.”

16. Functional and Access • Children and adults requiring FNSS may have: • Physical disabilities • Sensory disabilities • Mental health, cognitive and/or intellectual disabilities • Others who may benefit from FNSS include: • Women in late stages of pregnancy • Elders • People needing bariatric equipment, transportation or communications assistance.

17. Numbers • Approximately 20% of the population have a disability (sensory, physical, cognitive (mental health or intellectual). 56.4 million • Add functional and access needs, the numbers increase significantly to 50% (Kailes, J. (2005). Disaster Services and “Special Needs:” Term of Art or Meaningless Term? Kailes-Publications)

18. The Road to Bothell • Two degrees in psychology • Group homes, treatment centers for recovering youth, individual support services • Research Fellow: • De-institutionalization • Community development • Organizational Development • Research

19. Road to Bothell • State Council on Developmental Disability • Forensic services • Developmental Center • Community based advocacy supports

20. Starting point: • Empowerment is about • “…having control over our own lives…that we are entitled to equal rights and opportunity, real choices that enable us to maintain control over our lives, power and authority over the supports and services designed to assist us, and full participation in our communities.” (disability empowerment center) • Self-advocacy • People First Language

21. Starting point: • Self-determination • the power or ability to make a decision for oneself without influence from outside

22. Starting point: • Importance of full and meaningful participation • Assessable materials and venue • Structure that enables meaningful contribution • Flexibility

23. Starting point: • Inclusion and integration • State of being included – being able to fully participate in the experience the same as anyone else. • Having the same opportunities as others

24. Starting point: • Community involvement and connection • Participation • Involvement • Reciprocity

25. ‘with’ not for ‘with’ not ‘for’

26. Focus – Whole Community • “We must look beyond the traditional, “government-centric” approach to emergency management and embrace a philosophy and operational posture that leverages, and serves, the Whole Community.”

27. Steps in the direction… • Meeting community partners. • Forging relationships with advocacy groups. • Bring expertise to the table as collaborators and partners. • Working internally as well as externally, in partnership, to meet the needs of the whole community.

28. Steps in the direction • Participating in meetings • Disseminating information • Creating a resource list • Providing supporting documentation

29. Contact Information • LesleyAnne.ezelle@dhs.gov • Telephone: 425 420 6026

30. Whole Community • A dream you dream alone is only a dream. A dream you dream together is reality. John Lennon