Vulnerable Populations Action Team (VPAT)
Included. Connected. Prepared.
Public Health – Seattle & King County has formed a Vulnerable Populations Action Team (VPAT) to coordinate countywide preparedness efforts with a wide variety of community partners. The team includes a diverse cross section of staff with public health expertise in vulnerable populations, preparedness and infectious diseases. First efforts focus on influenza pandemic planning, with other emergencies included as partnerships and networks are strengthened.
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Vision, Aim and Goals for the Vulnerable Populations Action Team
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Vision
By working collaboratively with community partners, Public Health’s VPAT initiative ensures that no one group is more impacted than another in an emergency.
Aim
We will assure access to public health preparedness, response and recovery information and services for the most at-risk and hardest-to-reach residents in King County. We will do this through mutually respectful relationships with vulnerable communities and the organizations that serve them.
Goal 1
We will identify and better understand the preparedness, response and recovery needs of community-based organizations that serve vulnerable populations.
Goal 2
Essential public health information will reach residents in all vulnerable population communities prior to and throughout an emergency event.
Goal 3
Community-based organizations will be better prepared to continue delivery of services in an emergency. They will have the skills/capacity to train their staff, clients and volunteers to provide basic response and recovery services.
Goal 4
Vulnerable populations planning activities will be integrated into government, healthcare, community-based organization and internal public health systems.
Vulnerable Population Segments
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The following are population segments identified to be especially at risk in a public health emergency. For pandemic influenza, Public Health will support the planning for vulnerable groups in two ways: Vulnerable Populations for which Public Health will directly plan and train; and Vulnerable Populations for which Public Health will play an assurance or advocacy role. As an advocate, Public Health will coordinate with other County divisions to include in pandemic planning the Vulnerable Population segments these divisions serve.
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Direct Planning, Training by Public Health
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Advocacy by Public Health
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| 1. |
Physically Disabled
(major: full-time attendant care required for feeding, toileting, personal care, etc.)
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1. |
Mentally Disabled
(major: unable to safely survive independently, attend to personal care, etc.; includes being a danger to themselves or others; includes mentally ill and developmentally disabled) |
| 2. |
Blind
(range includes: low vision, night blindness, color blindness, impaired depth perception, etc.) |
2. |
Medically Dependent, Medically Compromised
(dependent on medications to sustain life or control conditions for quality of life—i.e., diabetic; weakened immune systems, those who cannot be in/use public accommodations |
| 3. |
Deaf, Deaf-Blind, Hard of Hearing (latent Deaf, situational loss of hearing, limited-range hearing) |
3. |
Chemically Dependent
(includes substance abusers, other who would experience withdrawal, sickness or other symptoms due to lack of access—i.e., methadone users) |
| 4. |
Seniors
(frail elderly, people who have age-related limitations/needs) |
4. |
Seniors
(others not included in Public Health “direct” category—may include those in nursing home or assisted-living care) |
| 5. |
Limited English or Non-English Proficient
(includes persons with limited ability to speak, read, write or fully understand English) |
5. |
Clients of Criminal Justice System (ex-convicts, parolees, people under house arrest, registered sex offenders) |
| 6. |
Children
(anyone below age of majority separated from parents/ guardians—day cares, Head Start, before/after-school programs, latch-key kids) |
6. |
Children
(those in school, foster care, truancy, juvenile justice system ) |
| 7. |
Homeless and Shelter Dependent (includes persons in shelters, on the streets or temporarily housed—transitional, safe houses for women and minors) |
7. |
Emerging or Transient Special Needs
(needs/conditions due to emergency, temporary conditions—i.e., loss of glasses, broken leg, tourists/visitors needing care) |
| 8. |
Impoverished
(person with extremely low income, without resources or political voice, limited access to services, limited ability to address own needs) |
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| 9. |
Undocumented Persons
(persons distrusting authorities, political dissidents and others who will not use government or other traditional service providers—i.e., American Red Cross) |
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Community Communication Network
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Public Health - Seattle & King County has formed a Community Communication Network (CCN) to reach individuals who may not or cannot access information from traditional sources that serve the general public. The Community Communication Network is a partnership between Public Health and community-based organizations and community leaders in order to disseminate essential health-related information in an emergency to hard-to-reach, vulnerable residents. Public Health recognizes that without the information and assistance of community-based agencies serving vulnerable individuals and communities, notification efforts will not be successful.
» Join the network (PDF)
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