Office of Human Services Emergency Preparedness & Response

Disaster Human Services & Post-Disaster Health

Outcomes

CDR Jonathan White, Ph.D., LCSW-CAdministration for Children & FamiliesOffice of Human Services Emergency

Preparedness and Response

Superstorm Sandy (2012). Photo: ACF.

Administration for Children & Families

• A division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

• Promotes the economic and social well-being of families, children, individuals and communities

• Administers more than 60 programs, budget of $51 billion

www.acf.hhs.gov

• Child Care• Child Support Services• Child Welfare & Foster

Care• Community Services

Block Grant• Family Violence

Prevention & Services• Head Start• Immediate Disaster

Case Management

• Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program

• Refugee Resettlement• Runaway & Homeless

Youth• Social Services Block

Grant• Temporary Assistance

for Needy Families• Transitioning Foster

Youth• Unaccompanied Alien

Children Services

ACF Equities in Disasters

ACF Emergency Activities

• The Office of Human Services Emergency Preparedness and Response (OHSEPR) provides leadership in human services preparedness, response, and recovery, promoting resilience of individuals, families, and communities prior to, during, and after nationally declared disasters and public health emergencies.

• Partnership between ACF Office of Human Services Emergency Preparedness and Response (OHSEPR) and the 10 ACF Regional Administrators’ offices.

• In each ACF Regional Administrator’s office, there is a Regional Emergency Management Specialist (REMS).

Human Services in Disaster

Preparedness

• Integration of human services systems with public health and emergency management

• Promote community resilience, focusing on at-risk populations served by human services systems

Response

• Continuity of services when disaster strikes

• Addressing new, disaster-caused human services needs

Recovery

• Restore and rebuild human services infrastructure

• Equitable recovery for at-risk populations served by human services systems: leave no one behind

ACF Operations Roles

ACF Programmatic Authorities

• Preparedness, Response, Recovery, Mitigation

• Support to: Grantees, States, Tribes, Territories

ESF-6 (NRF)• Response,

Preparedness• Support to: FEMA,

States, Tribes, Territories

ESF-8 (NRF)• Response,

Preparedness• Support to: ASPR,

States, Tribes, Territories

Health & Social Services RSF (NDRF)• Recovery,

Preparedness• Support to: ASPR,

States, Tribes, Territories

Drivers of Disaster Human Services Needs

Drivers of Human Services Needs

Disaster Impacts Social Disruption

Critical & Social Infrastructure

Damage

Evacuation/Mass

Movement

Work/Wage Disruptions

Key Health-Related Social Services/ Human Services Programs

ECONOMIC SECURITYe.g., Temporary Assistance for

Needy Families (TANF)

CHILD SUPPORT EARLY CHILDHOODHead Start and Child Care

FAMILY VIOLENCE PREVENTION & SERVICES

e.g. State Domestic Violence Coalitions, State Administrators,

National Domestic Violence Hotline (NDVH)

CHILD WELFARE & FOSTER CAREe.g., Child Abuse Prevention &

Treatment Act programs, Title IV-E, Adult Protective Services

NUTRITION ASSISTANCEe.g., Supplemental Nutrition

Assistance Program and Women, Infants & Children

ENERGY ASSISTANCEe.g., Low Income Home Energy

Assistance Program (LIHEAP)

AGING SERVICESe.g., Older Americans Act

Programs

VULNERABLE POPULATIONS ASSISTANCE

e.g., Runaway & Homeless Youth, refugee & asylee programs,

Transitioning Foster Youth, human trafficking programs

Mechanisms for Health OutcomesProgram Type

Injury Risk

Health Access

Stress-Related

Economic Determinant

Behavioral Health

Environ-mental

Develop-mental

Economic Security

Yes Yes Yes

Child Support Yes Yes

Early Childhood

Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

Family Violence

Yes Yes Yes

Child Welfare Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

Nutrition Yes Yes YesEnergy Yes Yes YesAging Svcs Yes Yes Yes Yes YesVulnerable Pop Svcs Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

Key Lessons Learned

• The client populations served in “steady state” by human services/social services systems are also key “at risk” populations for adverse health outcomes post-disaster

Key Lessons Learned

• Significant gaps remain in interoperability of human services/social services with emergency management and public health at all levels

Key Lessons Learned

• Child care has particular challenges in recovery

Response

• HHS provides situational awareness on impacts to human services and early childhood programs

• ACF provides LNO and SME support to the Federal interagency on HHS human services as described in the HHS Disaster Human Services CONOPS (2014)

Short-Term Recovery

• Convene (or leverage existing) Children and Youth Task Force

Children and Youth Task Force in Disasters: Guidelines for Development www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/ohsepr/childrens_task_force_development_web.pdf

• Assess child care impacts and convene Child Care Recovery Group under Children & Youth Task Force if required (to include Lead CCDF agency, Child Care Resource & Referral agency, ACF, Save The Children, FEMA, and providers)

Intermediate Term Recovery

• Establish linkages between behavioral health and early childhood programs

• Promote awareness of the National Domestic Violence Hotline

800-799-7233 www.thehotline.org 800-787-3224 (TTY)

Long-Term Recovery

• Support effective and coordinated systems of Disaster Case Management by the Federal government, VOADs, State government, or others

• Leverage recovery experiences under the H&SS NDRF to build greater capacity and interoperability for human services preparedness for future events

Questions?

CDR Jonathan WhiteDeputy Director

Office of Human Services Emergency Preparedness & Response

Administration for Children and Families

jonathan.white@acf.hhs.gov(202) 690-6984