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What is Case Management?
As the various churches and relief organizations hit the ground in the Gulf Coast region – the first response was to request citizens to fill in Work Request Forms in order to organize volunteers to respond to those needs. The request forms, initially, were requests for immediate needs such as emergency shelter (tents), food, clothing and medical needs.
Time progressed and needs and requests expanded to debris removal from property in order to accommodate FEMA trailers. Then came the re-construction phase where residents are wading thru a myriad of forms: FEMA trailer applications and maintenance issues, temporary power poles along with restoring water and sewage utilities, FEMA grants, State grants, SBA forms, HUD forms, and a variety of individual non profit agency grants, building permits, condemnation orders, R.O.E. issues, appeals to agencies when grant applications are denied, legal issues resulting from the storm, ongoing issues with home insurance claims, re-location assistance for displaced citizens, gutting of homes, re-construction, location of available material resources, and employment issues.
Moving forward the disaster teams and church organizations assigned case managers to individuals in order to better advocate solutions for the citizens rather than force them to travel from church to church or from disaster response team to disaster response team. For some the tangled maze of available grants along with the complicated rules and regulations, at the State and Federal level, is more than they can cope with.
Case Managers facilitate long term recovery plans with each of the clients on an individual basis dependent on their personal goals, needs, and available fiscal resources derived from grants and insurance. By networking within the system they are intimately acquainted with – caseworkers empower the client on the road to recovery in a “one stop shop” platform as opposed to the alternate which is multiple lists at multiple churches and organizations. The more effective Case Manager does not orchestrate the solutions but offers options and assists with the long term recovery plan the client chooses for themselves.
Goal of the Case Worker:
Develop a long term recovery plan based on individual priorities towards self sufficiency. This covers both emotional and material needs.
Evaluate relief that has already been received and the relief that has been applied for.
Recommend other resources and assistance.
Advocate, as necessary, when obstacles arise.
Develop a system that allows for consistent systematic follow-up until completion of the recovery plan.
Mission of Supporting Agency:
Define agency mission clearly
Clearly advertise services, phone numbers, email addresses, and websites
Network with other agencies and organizations to effectively and equitably facilitate resource sharing
Prioritize services based on means and needs
Organize field assessments to seek out unique populations
Provide a fully comprehensive walk in center with set hours, staff, and self help literature
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