Public Health System Training in Disaster Recovery (PH

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

• Training is voluntary.
• Decision to participate has no impact on
  employment status.
• Your participation will not be communicated to
  the researchers.
• Participation poses minimal risks to you.
• Please notify the instructor if you feel upset
  and do not wish to continue.

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Session 3 Personal/Family and Workplace
Considerations for Disaster Recovery
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Administrative Issues

• Session Duration 90 minutes
• Exit and Restroom Locations
• Parking Lot
• Please Silence Your Cell Phone

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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.

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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.

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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.

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National Disaster Recovery Framework
National Disaster Recovery Framework, 2011.
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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.
• Lets think about how to be better prepared for
  the effects of disasters that may last for months
  to years.

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Be Prepared for Recovery

• Ready.gov suggests we Be Informed, Make a
  Plan, and Build a Kit.
• 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.

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Personal and Family-related Considerations

• The Learner Resource webpage has links to assist
  you with these issues.

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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.

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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.

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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.
• Protect yourself from mold by knowing where it
  grows, how to prevent it, and how to safely
  remove it from your home.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.
• 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.

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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.

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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-a
  id

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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.

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Disaster Distress Helpline
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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.

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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?

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Workplace Considerations

• The Learner Resource webpage has links to assist
  you with these issues.

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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.
• 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.

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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.

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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.

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Workplace Considerations

• Working with Volunteers
• Know your agencys 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.

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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

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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 agencys policies and procedures?
• What information do I need to better prepare for
  my work-related responsibilities in recovery?
• Where can I find this information?

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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.

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Summary of Main Points

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

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Questions?