Personal and Family Considerations for Disaster Recovery

1. Public Health System Training in Disaster Recovery (PH – STriDR) This work was supported by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Cooperative Agreement 1U01TP000576-01

2. Disclaimer The views expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, the Department of Defense, or the United States Government.

3. Mission The NCDMPH leads Federal and coordinates national efforts to develop and propagate core curricula, education, training and research in all-hazards disaster health. Vision A Nation of resilient communities with a competent health workforce prepared to respond and mitigate all-hazards disasters.

4. Session 3: Personal/Family and Workplace Considerations for Disaster Recovery

5. Administrative Issues • Session Duration: 90 minutes • Exit and Restroom Locations • “Parking Lot” • Please Silence Your Cell Phone

6. Review of Session 2 • All health department employees have an important role to play in disaster recovery activities. • Maintaining regular health department programs is an important contribution to community recovery. • After a disaster, your individual job role may change for a period of time. • We have discussed ways to enhance your ability to perform recovery-related roles.

7. Learning Objectives • Describe common personal and family support issues encountered beyond the first 72 hours of a disaster and resources that can help you prepare in advance. • Identify resources available to you, your family, and your coworkers to address psychological well-being and self care. • State who you may contact if you have questions about workplace safety policy, compensation, and liability in disaster recovery.

8. Recovery Continuum • The actions taken in the preparedness and response phases can make a big impact on recovery. • Recovery activities can begin soon after a disaster has occurred and continue for months to years afterward. • There is a tendency to focus on the short-term recovery activities and less of a focus on issues and considerations into the long-term. • Today we will think about potential recovery issues that may extend into the long term.

9. National Disaster Recovery Framework National Disaster Recovery Framework, 2011.

10. Disaster Recovery Context • Disasters affect you as both an employee and as an individual. • Long-term recovery can be complicated by the need to balance work and personal/family responsibilities. • Let’s think about how to be better prepared for the effects of disasters that may last for months to years.

11. Be Prepared for Recovery Ready.gov suggests we “Be Informed,” “Make a Plan,” and “Build a Kit.”

12. Be Prepared for Recovery • This presentation will discuss the issues that could extend beyond the response phase of disaster and into the long-term recovery period. • As we go through the upcoming slides, think about how you can make or update your plan and kit to better support recovery.

13. Personal and Family-related Considerations The Learner Resource webpage has links to assist you with these issues.

14. Personal and Family-related Considerations Accessing FEMA Disaster Recovery Centers (DRCs) • DRCs are facilities where applicants may go for information about disaster assistance programs. • Keep the website and phone number in your go-kit (http://www.fema.gov/disaster-recovery-centers; 1-800-621-3362). • DisasterAssistance.gov can connect you to other federal support services.

15. Personal and Family-related Considerations Finding Housing Solutions • Identify potential housing options for your family should you be displaced for an extended period of time. • FEMA and Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) provide search engines for low-cost housing options in your area.

16. Personal and Family-related Considerations

17. Personal and Family-related Considerations Rebuilding Your Home • Know your local contact for building permits and regulations, how to contact FEMA for financial support options and interim housing assistance, and where to find trusted contractors that can give you an itemized estimate of damages.

18. Personal and Family-related Considerations Rebuilding Your Home • Protect yourself from mold by knowing where it grows, how to prevent it, and how to safely remove it from your home.

19. Personal and Family-related Considerations Keeping Food and Water Safe • Be familiar with how to boil or treat water for drinking, cooking and personal hygiene. • When in doubt, throw it out! • Most food containers cannot be disinfected and should be thrown away. • To disinfect cans, remove the labels, wash the cans, and dip them in a solution of 1 cup (8 oz/250 mL) of bleach in 5 gallons of water; re-label the cans with a marker. • Be sure the restaurants you visit have been inspected and have properly disposed of contaminated food and water.

20. Personal and Family-related Considerations Preparing Legal Documents • Collect photocopies of important documents and store them in a safe, waterproof place. • Examples include: recent pictures of your home and property, prescriptions and insurance information, and identification for you, your family, and your pets. • FEMA-supported Disaster Legal Services (DLS) provides legal assistance to low-income individuals affected by disaster.

21. Personal and Family-related Considerations Getting Kids Back to School • Returning to school is a critical step for healing. • The educational rights of students experiencing homelessness, including from disaster, are protected. • If feasible, children have the right to stay in the school they went to before losing their housing.

22. Personal and Family-related Considerations Accessing Social Services • Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) is an available resource for displaced families; check the Policy Guidance in Disasters for eligibility criteria. • Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (D-SNAP) provides up to one month of benefits for eligible households within 72 hours of application. • If you already receive social services, keep providers’ phone numbers and addresses with other important documents in your go-kit.

23. Personal and Family-related Considerations Maintaining Health and Medical Care • Keep copies of your prescriptions, medical insurance information, device ID numbers, etc in your go-kit. • Check your insurance policy for out-of-network coverage.

24. Personal and Family-related Considerations Maintaining Health and Medical Care • Contact your primary care provider if you are displaced. • Emergency Prescription Assistance Program (EPAP) provides prescription drugs and limited durable medical equipment to individuals affected by a disaster of national significance with no other health insurance.

25. Personal and Family-related Considerations Rebuilding Your Community • Become familiar with common hazards that may pose a risk to you after a disaster, and how to properly protect yourself from them. • This may include: electrical issues, contaminated water, infectious diseases, hazardous materials, carbon monoxide exposure, fire risk, mold exposure, and structurally unstable buildings.

26. Psychological First Aid (PFA) • In the days after a disaster, intense emotions are present and appropriate. • PFA techniques promote safety, calm, connectedness, self-efficacy, empowerment, and hope and provide guidance on practices to avoid when interacting with others affected by the disaster. • Training in PFA is available online: • http://www.nctsn.org/content/psychological-first-aid

27. Long-Term Mental Health Considerations • Some people continue to need support long into the recovery process. • This includes both care providers and survivors. • Remember, some care providers may be survivors too. • The handout discusses stress symptoms and self-care in the home and the workplace. • Recognize signs and symptoms of compassion fatigue, burnout, depression, and other mental health concerns in workers involved in recovery. • Gradually work back into your routine. • Keep a list of hotlines to report potential cases of domestic violence, child abuse, and suicidal behavior.

28. Disaster Distress Helpline

29. Individual Activity • Read the scenario on the handout. • Use the chart to think about potential concerns you may have in the recovery phase of disaster. • For each concern, identify ways to be better prepared in advance. • Include resources and contacts that can provide you with additional information or assistance.

30. Full Group Discussion • Who identified concerns that may be applicable to others that they would like to share? • Who identified resources or solutions that might be useful for others as they work on Being Informed, Making a Plan, and Building a Kit that includes disaster recovery?

31. Workplace Considerations Safely Reopen Your Health Department • Inquire about disaster plans and processes within your health department. • Use Checklist of Health Department Recovery Activities to aid facilities management and safety officers in safely reopening.

32. Workplace Considerations Safely Reopen Your Health Department • Be familiar with department guidelines for telework and/or alternate worksites. • Keep contact information for physical plant/maintenance to report damage and get updates on repairs.

33. Workplace Considerations Caring for Displaced Clients • Prepare clients ahead of time for how to access their services if they are displaced. • Ensure that you have contact information for clients, including contact at their planned evacuation site.

34. Workplace Considerations Balancing Work Responsibilities • Work with your supervisor on managing work priorities and short- and long-term goals. Addressing Gaps in Staffing • Check to see if your health department has a Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP) that addresses staff reduction. • Investigate options for HIPAA-compliant access to documents, data, and information. • Develop standard operating procedures for essential functions and share them widely throughout the agency.

35. Workplace Considerations

36. Workplace Considerations Working with Volunteers • Know your agency’s policy about working with volunteers from organizations such as the American Red Cross, Medical Reserve Corps, and Community Emergency Response Teams. • Inquire if these groups are part of your agency plan for recovery and how you may be expected to work with them.

37. Workplace Considerations Understanding Human Resource Policy Issues • Know your local and state human resource contacts and familiarize yourself with existing policies for issues such as workplace safety, overtime, liability, and hazard pay. • Investigate local, state, and federal legal protections for workers in disasters. • Contacts for our local public health agency are…

38. Full Group Discussion • What are the workplace issues I need to be concerned about in disaster recovery? • What questions do I have regarding my local public health agency’s policies and procedures? • What information do I need to better prepare for my work-related responsibilities in recovery? • Where can I find this information?

39. What Can I Do Right Now? • Are there volunteers to follow up on a workplace consideration that we have discussed today? • Can you report back to the group at our next session? • Please remember to follow appropriate practice within your agency when inquiring about organizational policy and procedures and/or raising concerns.

40. Summary of Main Points • You do not have to wait for a disaster to prepare for common issues encountered in all phases of recovery.

41. Summary of Main Points • Consider including in your go-kit information and items that will be useful in the weeks and months after an event. • Many resources are available for learning about and addressing mental health concerns for yourself, your family, and your coworkers. • Each situation is unique, so it is important for each individual to be aware of resources that can address personal and workplace needs.

42. Questions?

43. Thank you! Please visit the NCDMPH Website for more disaster health-related education and training resources. https://ncdmph.usuhs.edu/ @NCDMPH