A Texas Disaster Case

1

• A Texas Disaster Case
• Management Consortium

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Presentation overview

• Brief background of LSSDR
• Overview of Texas Hurricane Ike Disaster Case
  Management Pilot project RISE Consortium
• Highlights of connections between RISE program
  implementation and COA Disaster Recovery Case
  Management (DRCM) Standards

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LSSDR Background

• Regional affiliate agency of Lutheran Disaster
  Response
• Serve Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma
• Provide emergency financial assistance, emotional
  spiritual care, case management, volunteer
  coordination, construction management,
  preparedness
• Significant program growth for Hurricanes Katrina
  Rita response
• Participant in national Katrina Aid Today
  disaster case management consortium
• Served over 10,000 Katrina Survivors
• Galveston Ike shelter case work program

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What is rise?

• A Texas Disaster Case Management Consortium in
  which
• Case managers work in partnership with survivors
  to empower them to rise from the despair and loss
  of disaster to rebuild their lives one step at a
  time as they move toward long-term recovery from
  Hurricane Ike.

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RISE Disaster Case management Services

• RISE Disaster Case Managers work in partnership
  with Hurricane Ike survivors to
• Conduct thorough needs assessments
• Connect survivors to resources to meet needs
• Develop written recovery plans
• Advocate for survivor needs and new resources
• Build on survivors strengths

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Connections - DRCM Definition Purpose

• DEFINITION
• plan, secure, coordinate, monitor, and advocate
  for unified goals and services
• in partnership with individuals and families.
• Services may be delivered withina multi-service
  organization.
• PURPOSE
• access and use resources and support
• build onstrengths and meet
  service needs.

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Connection drcm 6 service philosophy

• The program is guided by a service philosophy
  that
• facilitates the development, implementation, and
  evaluation of the program based on program goals
  and the best available evidence of service
  effectiveness and
• establishes how the program will support service
  recipients to access resources to meet
  disaster-related needs and achieve recovery
  goals.

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Texas dcm pilot

• FEMA granted approximately 58 million to the
  State of Texas to administer disaster case
  management for the Hurricane Ike disaster in 34
  Texas counties.
• The Texas Health Human Services Commission
  (HHSC) is the State agency administering the
  project.
• HHSC awarded three sub-grants to serve 34 county
  area
• LSSDR - 16 counties
• Deep East Texas of Governments 17 counties
• Neighborhood Centers, Inc. 1 county
• LSSDR selected as training entity

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Rise project overview

• Lead Agency Lutheran Social Services Disaster
  Response
• Funding Approximately 24 million
• Cases 13,174 Ike Survivor Households
• Case Managers 235 Case Managers
• Database Coordinated Assistance Network (CAN)

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RISE Partner agencies

• Boat People SOS
• Catholic Charities
• GRACE Community Services
• GMC Consultants LLC
• Gulf Coast Center
• ICNA Relief USA
• Mainland Childrens Partnership
• Southeast Texas Interfaith Organization
• Society of St. Vincent de Paul
• United Cerebral Palsy of Greater Houston
• United Methodist Committee on Relief
  (Training Partner)

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Rise PROJECT OVERVIEW

• Collaborative consortium model
• Ensures that survivors receive standardized
  services no matter what agency they work with.
• Promotes continuity of case management services
  by allowing survivors cases to move/transfer
  with them as they relocate.
• Minimizes the duplication of services through
  data collection and regular monitoring of cases
  through the CAN database.
• Maximizes resources available to survivors as the
  consortium works collectively to seek out
  supportive resources and services.

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National voad model

• Collaboration
• Coordination
• Cooperation
• Communication

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Connection DRCm 1 Access to Service

• The organization works with community partners
  and resources to minimize barriers that prevent
  individuals and families from accessing
  services.
• DRCM 1.03
• Local organizations with responsibility for
  delivery of case management services have in
  place an established, agreed upon plan for
  working in cooperation with other service
  providers that addresses barriers to access.

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RISE WORKING WITH COMMUNITY PARTNERS

• Fellow RISE agencies
• Long-term Recovery Committees (LTRCs)
• Unmet Needs Committees (UNCs)
• Local, State Federal Government
• Disaster Recovery Organizations
• Local social service agencies

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Connection drcm 8 personnel

• Disaster Recovery Case Management employeesare
  qualified by life experience, education, and
  training to access and coordinate services for
  the populations served.

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RISE Case manager training

• Partnership with UMCOR
• All Case Managers and Case Manager Supervisors go
  through training, regardless of prior experience.
• Training Includes
• Two days of Basic DCM
• One day of RISE Forms
• One day of CAN
• Ongoing/advanced training conducted throughout
  project

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Connection drcm 8 personnel

• DRCM 8.06
• Case management supervisors monitor,
  communicate, and take action regarding
• the support and training needs and effectiveness
  of case management staff
• the prioritization of client needs, and status
  and support of recovery plan goals
• the development and processes of disaster
  specific resources and
• the need for networking and collaboration with
  agencies and community providers.

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RISE supervisors

• RISE Supervisors
• Coordinate resource and referral information
• Collaborate collegially with other agencies
• Provide case file / case presentation review
• Relate policy and provide guidance
• Monitor quality of services to clients
• Monitor productivity of case managers
• Monitor staff for signs of stress
• Advocate for case manager and client
• Ongoing training of case managers

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Connection drcm 1 access to service

• DRCM 1.04
• Effective, culturally-competent outreach
  strategies connect potential service recipients
  with accurate, appropriate information about
  community resources and service availability and
  eligibility.

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RISE Outreach/screening

• Single point of entry
• Ensures equitable distribution of cases
• Minimizes duplication of services
• Limits competition between multiple subrecipient
  agencies serving same community
• Streamlines entry of clients into RISE
• Special needs populations will be matched with
  specialized agencies, as much as possible

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RISE Outreach/sreening strategies

• Strategy 1 FEMA list of applicants
• Subrecipients conduct outreach/intake with FEMA
  applicants on their assigned lists
• Strategy 2 Walk-ins/Call-ins
• Walk-in/call-in clients referred to RISE toll
  free centralized intake line, 1-888-IKE-RISE.
• LSSDR Intake Team conducts intake and equitably
  assigns to RISE case management agencies.
• Vietnamese Clients referred to BPSOS for
  intake/eligibility determination.

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RISE Outreach/screening strategies

• Strategy 3 RISE Case Management Agency Outreach
• Subrecipients canvas rural and urban communities
  to identify un-served and/or underserved
  populations
• Clients contact toll free 1-888-IKE-RISE to
  enroll
• If client unable to use the phone, subrecipient
  case manager conducts intake

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Connection drcm 1 Access to service

• DRCM 1.01
• Case managers are knowledgeable about current,
  applicable eligibility requirements and
  application processes, including
• how to determine eligibility and
• specific registration or procedural sequence of
  service delivery requirements to avoid
  duplication or loss of benefits.

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RISE Intake/eligibility

• RISE Eligibility Criteria
• Survivor of Hurricane Ike
• Currently reside in 16-county RISE service area
• Legal Immigration Status
• Sign CAN/Agency Release of Information FEMA
  Letter of Consent
• Not currently being served by another disaster
  case management agency

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Connection drcm 2 screening intake

• The organization screens applicants promptly and
  responsively to identify urgency of need and
  direct individuals to appropriate services.

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RISE Intake/eligibility

• Purpose
• Determine eligibility for RISE services
• Identify immediate needs
• Assign triage/Tier of Need level
• Can be conducted in or out of office
• Use of standardized RISE Intake Eligibility
  Determination forms

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Connection drcm 2 screening intake

• DRCM 2.02
• Prompt, responsive screening practices include
• screening for appropriateness, scope, and
  intensity of service
• ensure equitable distribution of resources
• give priority to urgent needs and individual
  emergency situations, including early recognition
  of vulnerable populations
• support timely initiation of services...

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RISE Triage Tiers of Need

• 4 Tiers of Need
• Based on combination of risk factors, severity of
  need, and anticipated frequency of contact needed
• Not meant to be prescriptive
• Determined on case-by-case basis
• Assigned by case manager when completing
  Eligibility Determination Form
• Timeframe from intake/eligibility determination
  to Initial Assessment based on Tier of Need level

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Connection drcm 3 assessment

• Individuals and families participate in a
  comprehensive, individualized, strengths-based,
  culturally-responsive assessment of disaster
  recovery related needs.
• DRCM 3.01
• The information gathered for assessments is
  comprehensive, directed at concerns identified in
  the initial screening, and limited to material
  that is pertinent for meeting service requests
  and objectives.

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RISE assessment

• Purpose
• Engage the client in the case management process
• Begin building the client case manager
  relationship
• Collect in-depth information from the client to
  better understand his/her experience with the
  disaster
• Identify the unmet needs resulting from the
  disaster
• Provide the foundational information upon which
  to build a recovery plan

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Connection drcm 4 service planning

•  
• Each individual or family participates in the
  development, implementation, and ongoing review
  of a recovery plan that is the basis for delivery
  of appropriate services and support.

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Connection drcm 4 service planning

• DRCM 4.04
• The recovery plan is based on the assessment,
  and includes
• goals, desired outcomes, andreasonable
  timeframes for achieving them
• services and supports to be provided, and by
  whom
• the individuals or guardians signature, as
  appropriate and
• documentation and verification needed for the
  provision and advocacy of services.

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Connection drcm 5 service monitoring

• Service monitoring ensures continuity of service
  and care, and timely adjustments to service
  provision when the individuals or familys needs
  and circumstances change.
• DRCM 5.04
• The worker and family regularly review progress
  toward achievement of agreed upon goals and sign
  revisions to service goals and plans.

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RISE Recovery planning

• All steps in disaster case management lead to the
  recovery plan
• A clients roadmap to recovery
• Developed in partnership between the client and
  case manager
• Identifies the concrete, achievable steps that a
  client needs to take to move toward recovery
• Recovery Plan must be initiated within two (2)
  weeks of Initial Assessment

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RISE Recovery planning

• Case manager needs to clearly communicate his/her
  role in recovery planning
• Helps to set client expectations
• Minimizes client dependence on case manager
• Empowers client to maintain ownership of his/her
  recovery process
• Regular monitoring communication with client
  vital
• Document progress in CAN

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CONNECTION DRCM 7 Case closing

• Case closing is a planned, orderly process.
• DRCM 7.01
• Planning for case closing
• is a clearly defined process that includes
  assignment of staff responsibility
• begins at intake
• involves the worker, the individual, a parent or
  legal guardian, and others, as appropriate and
• addresses all disaster-related needs and possible
  reasons for case closing.

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Rise case closure

• Closure conversation process begins at intake.
• Ideally, case closed when all recovery needs have
  been met.
• Client involved in case closure process.
• Identify recovery goals met.
• All clients given opportunity to complete Client
  Satisfaction Survey at point of closure.
• Use of standardized RISE forms.

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Connection drcm 7 case closing

• DRCM 7.06 (Case Transfer)
• The organization transfers and closes a case
  when a transfer is requested by the client or
  when it is determined that transferring a case to
  another disaster case management organization is
  in the clients best interest and the individual
  or family concur.

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RISE Case transfer

• A reality of disaster case management, especially
  as resources shift
• Helpful when clients relocate
• Must be a written, signed request from client
• RISE required form for case transfer
• Client confidentiality and self-determination key
• Requires communication between case managers and
  case management agencies
• CAN transfer process

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Summary

• Standards help to
• Provide a model from which to build a DCM program
• Organize the work throughout a DCM program
• Contribute to common understanding of DCM work
• Ensure higher quality of services
• Better standardize DCM services across multiple
  agencies

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Contact information

• Heather Neuroth Gatlin, MPA
• Vice President of Disaster Response
• Lutheran Social Services Disaster Response
• 8305 Cross Park Drive
• Austin, Texas 78739
• Heather.gatlin_at_lsss.org
• 512-459-1000 x 7516