Essentials of Church Disaster Preparedness and Response

1. Essentials of Church Disaster Preparedness and Response Jamie D. Aten, Sharon Topping, & Ryan Denney University of Southern Mississippi

2. Support Provided by: *The Church Disaster Mental Health Project is funded by a grant from the Pew Charitable Trusts and Rand Gulf States Policy Institute. *This research was funded by the Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Minority Health through a grant from the University of Mississippi Medical Center's Mississippi Institute for Improvement of Geographic Minority Health whose quest is to eliminate health disparities. *The Clergy/Mental Health Partnership is funded by the Red Cross Resilency Fund and Foundation for the MidSouth in collaboration with the Interfaith Disaster Task Force. *The Clergy Disaster Response Network is funded by the United Jewish Communities Foundation in collaboration with the Interfaith Disaster Task Force. The findings, opinions and recommendations expressed therein are those of the author and not necessarily those of the funding agencies.

3. Introduction to Faith Communities and Disasters Integral to spiritual, sociopolitical, economic, and psychological disaster recovery Are often used as a source of coping during distressful times Can offer meaning, resources, hope, and emotional support after a disaster Clergy report being overwhelmed by needs following disasters Lessons learned from Hurricane Katrina

4. Purpose The purpose of this seminar presentation is to help prepare mental health professionals to collaborate with clergy and church leaders to equip churches and faith communities for disasters.

5. Disaster Response Phases Disaster Behavioral Reaction Phases: These phases reflect how impacted individuals experience or mentally process the event and the recovery process.   Handout PP “phases Heroic Phase. During this phase people are in a “fight-or-flight” mode, rushing to save themselves or others, protecting or rescuing possessions, finding a place of safety; or perhaps engaging in community activities such as sandbagging Honeymoon Phase.  During the honeymoon phase, people are relieved to have made it through the crisis, proud of how they handled it, feeling thankful and empowered, and feeling bonded with the community. They may dive whole-heartedly into cleaning and salvaging and begin working on their disaster recovery plan. Disillusionment: Over time, they begin to realize the true impact of the event and how much they really have to do to recover. They also discover the extensive processes they must go through to find help, and the limitations of what helping agencies and organizations can do while assisting them. As the disaster becomes old news, the media seem to forget about them, and they may feel abandoned. They may become angry or depressed and blame the agencies for not doing more. Reconstruction: During reconstruction they come to terms with their tasks at hand and pursue their recovery process, albeit with a heavier dose of reality and more viable expectations. Anniversary reactions are common. The timeline for these phases is very individualized, and different individuals experience them in different ways. For example, following the crisis some may move directly to disillusionment or despair, while others may move immediately into reconstruction, never losing their feelings of empowerment. QUESTION FOR DISCUSSION: Look again at the handout, “Symptoms of Stress.” Which reactions on the chart look as if they could be attributed to typical disaster behavioral reaction phases?Disaster Behavioral Reaction Phases: These phases reflect how impacted individuals experience or mentally process the event and the recovery process.   Handout PP “phases Heroic Phase. During this phase people are in a “fight-or-flight” mode, rushing to save themselves or others, protecting or rescuing possessions, finding a place of safety; or perhaps engaging in community activities such as sandbagging Honeymoon Phase.  During the honeymoon phase, people are relieved to have made it through the crisis, proud of how they handled it, feeling thankful and empowered, and feeling bonded with the community. They may dive whole-heartedly into cleaning and salvaging and begin working on their disaster recovery plan. Disillusionment: Over time, they begin to realize the true impact of the event and how much they really have to do to recover. They also discover the extensive processes they must go through to find help, and the limitations of what helping agencies and organizations can do while assisting them. As the disaster becomes old news, the media seem to forget about them, and they may feel abandoned. They may become angry or depressed and blame the agencies for not doing more. Reconstruction: During reconstruction they come to terms with their tasks at hand and pursue their recovery process, albeit with a heavier dose of reality and more viable expectations. Anniversary reactions are common. The timeline for these phases is very individualized, and different individuals experience them in different ways. For example, following the crisis some may move directly to disillusionment or despair, while others may move immediately into reconstruction, never losing their feelings of empowerment. QUESTION FOR DISCUSSION: Look again at the handout, “Symptoms of Stress.” Which reactions on the chart look as if they could be attributed to typical disaster behavioral reaction phases?

6. Equipping Churches for Disaster Preparedness & Response How to get started: Identify a local disaster response coordinator from your congregation Develop a disaster ministry leadership team Complete preparedness and response inventories and plans Begin educating and equipping volunteers

7. Church Disaster Preparedness Identify assumptions about disasters Network with disaster agencies Define church disaster mission Obtain detailed building description Inventory emergency supplies and safety measures Create communication plan Ensure appropriate evacuation plan Encourage personal disaster planning Identify vulnerable individuals and groups Establish recovery/service continuity plan Make plan for attending to community/neighborhood Protect and insure properties Consider seeking charity status/non-profit status

8. Disaster Preparedness for Church Members Encourage congregation members to: Make a “Go-Bag” (see www.nyc.gov/oem) Decide upon a post-disaster meeting place Make special needs known Develop a post-disaster communication plan Obtain proper insurance Set aside emergency fund Create an evacuation plan Create a family disaster preparedness plan

9. Family Disaster Preparedness Planning Sample components: Essentials (e.g., battery-operated radio, flashlight) Water (3 gallon per person minimum plus water for sanitation) Three-day supply of non-perishable food First Aid Kit Non-prescription and prescription drugs Tools and supplies (paper to chainsaw) Sanitation supplies Clothing (e.g., rain gear) and sleeping bag Baby supplies if needed (e.g., formula, diapers) Important family documents Entertainment (e.g., books or toys for children)

10. Church Evacuation Planning Identify emergency exits and procedures Post contact information for emergency numbers and contact persons Identify at least two alternate locations for services (one in and one out of your neighborhood) Use church communication structures to convey evacuations (e.g., “prayer chain”) Inform your congregation and community about your evacuation plan (make it visible)

11. Church Continuity of Operations Planning Conduct a risk assessment (e.g., What are the churches vulnerabilities?) Plan for utility disruptions Know what staff, materials, and equipment are essential to maintain operations Identify church programs and outreach ministries that could be utilized after disasters Prioritize post-disaster programs Take inventory of losses post-disaster Consider applying for post-disaster grants

12. Possible Post-Disaster Church Roles Help community make meaning of their disaster experience Provide advocacy (e.g., People before Ports) Case management services Raise awareness about disaster mental health Participate in rebuilding housing projects Provide emotional support and pastoral care Become liaison and referral source Use church facilities as a resource center

13. Possible Post-Disaster Church Facilities Uses Bulk distribution center (e.g., food, clothing) Child care center Communication center Information center (e.g., Health Fairs) Shelter (pre-and-post disaster) Gathering point Volunteer headquarters Food ministry (e.g., soup kitchen, “meals on wheels”, Angel food ministry) Command center Town hall meeting place Social services center

14. Possibilities for Clergy-Mental Health Professional Disaster Collaboration Develop educational and outreach opportunities: Effects of disaster on mental health Referral guidelines Overcoming perceived stigma “You train the pastors, we train the congregation, and the congregation trains the community…”

15. Possibilities for Clergy-Mental Health Professional Disaster Collaboration Lead mental health assessments: Identification of disaster related mental health problems Use focus groups of church leaders Brief instruments for congregational assessments “To be honest, I don’t even know what mental health needs existed in my church after Katrina” “Was this [psychological symptoms] sort term? Was it going to be long term? It was hard to tell after Katrina.”

16. Possibilities for Clergy-Mental Health Professional Disaster Collaboration Offer consultation activities: Pre-disaster planning Post-disaster planning Process of planning and content “If you don’t have a plan, you don’t have actions, and you know what that ends up looking like…it just ain’t good.”

17. Possibilities for Clergy-Mental Health Professional Disaster Collaboration Provide clinically-focused services: Crisis counseling services post Katrina (short-term, solution focused one-on-one therapy) Sensitive to spiritual & multicultural issues Knowledge of inpatient treatment programs “Is that person going to be okay I would think to myself…I just did the best I could, that’s what we all did, that’s what we had to do…I know we had folks that needed like serious clinical care.”

18. Possibilities for Clergy-Mental Health Professional Disaster Collaboration Provide spiritual resources and support system through the church: Church as referral source to meet spiritual needs Church as a source of social support and outreach Formalized partnership with mental health professionals to provide spiritual direction and pastoral care to members and those in need “You see this? [pointing to a picture] This elderly lady had nothing after Katrina, no one to help her, but our church not only built her a new house, we have a ministry of good folks that go and check on her every week, just to see how she is doing.”

19. Examples of Church-Mental Health Disaster Collaboration Church Disaster Mental Health Project: Provides in-person disaster mental health training and outreach to clergy and churches Offers consultation services to equip faith communities for disasters Provides online disaster mental health training and resources (www.churchdisasterhelp.org) Emphasis on reaching African American churches

20. Examples of Church-Mental Health Disaster Collaboration Clergy/Mental Health Partnership: Organizing Mental Health Summit with mental health, pastoral care, and mental health-pastoral care collaboration tracks Networking religious leaders and mental health providers to facilitate appropriate bi-directional assessment, services, and referral Providing mental health training for religious leaders and spiritual sensitivity training for mental health providers Offering emotional support/resiliency programs for religious leaders

21. Examples of Church-Mental Health Disaster Collaboration Disaster Clergy Response Network: Providing disaster first responder training and creditial to clergy Developing ethical codes, application process, and requirements for disaster clergy credential Working with MS Departments of Mental Health and Health to integrate credentialed clergy into the state disaster response plan Identifying regional coordinators and dispatch system

22. Conclusion Successful disaster preparedness and response begins with planning Mental health professionals have unique skills for helping churches respond to disasters Additional training and research is needed around disaster collaboration issues Questions and comments