Social Work Response To Disaster

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Social Work Response To Disaster

• Edward Pecukonis MSW, Ph.D.
• University of Maryland School of Social Work

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Disaster Defined

• Disasters are Community wide traumatic events
  that cause extensive destruction, death or injury
  and widespread social and personal disruption.
  (NASW, 2006).

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Impact of Disaster

• Short term and long term impact
• Psychological
• Social
• Environmental
• Biological

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Impact of Disaster

• Result in extensive destruction, death or injury
• Impair community functioning
• Infrastructure
• Property
• Jobs
• Relationships
• Life sustaining resources
• Compromise individual coping and problem solving
  capacities
• Dislocation
• Health
• Death and loss

5
Disasters Promote Dependency

• Loss of
• Resouces (income)
• Housing
• Food
• Transportation
• Social support
• Access to information

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Social Work Approach To Disaster Management

• Disaster assistance must be constructed
  holistically, encompassing the physical,
  developmental, psychological, emotional, social,
  cultural and spiritual needs of survivors (NASW,
  2006)

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Response To Disasters

• Require external assistance
• Supporting resource allocation
• Recovery and repair of environment
• Delivery of health and mental health services

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Social Works View of Appropriate -Disaster
Management

• Services must be
• Ethically grounded
• Culturally sensitive
• Concerned with risk reduction
• Allocation and distribution of resources
• Advocate for vulnerable populations
• Promote clear and effective administrative
  guidelines

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Barriers Preventing Post-Disaster Recovery

• Multiple agencies
• Different services offered, time frames, filing
  processes, eligibility standards and paper
  work/forms
• Most survivors have little or no experience
  dealing with social service agencies

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Social Works Concern With Vulnerable Populations

• Poor
• Elderly
• Disabled (physical and emotional)
• Institutionalized
• Children

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Emergency Management of Special Populations

• Overlooked and poorly managed
• Services are delayed and reduced

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Social Work Management of Disaster

• Coordination of services
• Information (accurate and realistic)
• Managing normal anxiety/fear of evacuees
• Assess mental health needs (triage and refer)
• Preparing appropriate reception and care of
  evacuees at relocation centers
• Promote linkage with on going services

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Social Work Management of Disaster

• Support, educate and advocate for survivors
• Negotiating unfamiliar bureaucracy
• Assist in locating (reproducing) documentation
  (deed to house)
• Promote clear and concise directions to obtain
  services

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Social Work Participation in Pre-Disaster Planning

• Social work needs to be represented in
  Pre-disaster community planning groups
• Include social work interventions in Table top
  drills
• Include social work community agencies in
  pre-disaster preparedness planning

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Social Work and Mental Health Considerations
General

• Survivors often develop significant post
  traumatic stress
• Fear
• Irrational behavior
• Withdrawl
• Intrusive thoughts
• Hypervigilence
• Panic and somatization
• Insomnia
• Poor concentration
• Exacerbation of previous mental health problems

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Social Work and Mental Health Considerations
Children

• Uncontrollable fear
• Sleep disturbance
• Lack of appetite
• Separation anxiety
• Aggression
• Withdrawl

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Who else is Vulnerable to Stress Reactions?

• Elderly (extended care facilities)
• Physically disabled
• Individuals with Mental illness
• People with histories of previous stressful life
  events
• First responders