General Planning Tips - Recovery

After the danger has passed, communities will be anxious to return to normal. Evacuees must return home. Damage must be repaired. Broken and lost items must be replaced. Both people and resources are needed to speed recovery, and the talents of individuals with disabilities should not be underestimated. Every member of a community can provide some support.

Create central sites for volunteer registration. Consider creating central sites where volunteers can meet after an event. At these sites, helpers can be assigned tasks according to their individual skills or talents. Setting central locations ahead of time will make it easier for people volunteer. The easier it is to participate, the larger the pool of volunteers. Therefore, central sites will make the volunteering more efficient and speed recovery.

Create central sites to request long-term assistance. Consider creating central locations or clearinghouses where people in need of long-term aid can find assistance. These clearinghouses can give people an easy way to ask for support from several different groups without having to go to several locations. In a sense, they can "one-stop-shop." This would increase the efficiency of delivering resources and decrease the time linked with receiving aid.

Continue recovery aid programs. There are several sources of Federal aid that can be used following a disaster. These include Medicaid waivers, HUD housing waivers, and FEMA housing for people with disabilities. Relief and recovery can be a slow process. Disasters can result in long-term mental health issues that may not appear until months or years later. Social services in some locations may be destroyed. Victims may need treatment and relief services for months to years after the disaster. Victims may also need support finding appropriate long-term medical care if the disaster prevents them from going back to previous practitioners. To reduce additional risk to victims, emergency planners should help facilitate long-term aid.