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Special Populations Plan East Central District Health Department

Special Populations Plan East Central District Health Department. A community effort to provide a comprehensive preparedness plan to assure the safety of individuals with disabilities. Demographics of our area. Multi-Jurisdictional Four Counties in Rural Nebraska Agriculturally based

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Special Populations Plan East Central District Health Department

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  1. Special Populations PlanEast Central District Health Department A community effort to provide a comprehensive preparedness plan to assure the safety of individuals with disabilities.

  2. Demographics of our area • Multi-Jurisdictional • Four Counties in Rural Nebraska • Agriculturally based • Four cows to every person • 51,143 pop. in 2,200 sq miles • Prior to 1990 -Caucasian • 904% increase in Latino Pop. between 1990-2000

  3. Asked by Nebraska HHSS to develop a plan rural health departments could replicate for special populations $2,000 budget Internal staff member was used as a Facilitator Process designed around questions Getting StartedAugust of 2006

  4. Community Process used in our area • Mobilizing and engaging thecommunity • Action with and by thecommunity • Planning driven by thecommunity • Partnerships to strengthen thecommunity • Sought Key Stakeholders to plan with us • Everyone asked to “Work” not just attend • Set clear beginning and ending dates • Everyone would leave with a product that was useful to their agency

  5. Why use this MAPP process? • Process provides a focus, purpose, direction for the planning process • Design the plan based on the input of the community you are targeting • Unites participants, everyone’s input shapes the product and all have incentive for success • Creates a sustained level of commitment to the process and to the end product

  6. Why input is important • Without input from the right people we may believe we understand the problem and we may not at all

  7. What agencies were involved? • East Central District Health Department • Arc of Platte County • League of Human Dignity • Early Development Network • Northeast Area Agency on Aging • Family Psychiatric Associates • Developmental Disability Planning Council • Columbus/Platte County Emergency Management • Rainbow Center

  8. What agencies were involved? • NorthStar Services • Genoa Medical Facilities • Columbus Community Hospital • People First • Visually Impaired Peer Support • Columbus Food Pantry • Good Neighbor Community Health Center • City of Columbus, Animal Control • American Red Cross

  9. Determining the target community What are the special needs populations in our community that we need to keep in mind as we write this plan? 1) Individuals with physical disabilities 2) Individuals with cognitive disorders 3) Individuals with behavioral health concerns

  10. What should the plan look like? What does a comprehensive preparedness plan need to contain in order to provide for the unique needs of special populations?

  11. Choosing the issues: Group Effort • Communication Strategies • Identify, Locate & Maintain Ongoing Census of Special Populations • Meeting the Basic Needs of Special Populations During An Emergency • Assisting Individuals & Agencies in Preparedness Planning • Maintaining Continuity of Health Care for Special Population • Resource List

  12. Communication Strategies • Message Content • Clear and Short • Simple terms and avoid jargon • Messages should be factual & correct • Message should have basic information • Messages should reassure • Messages should encourage Pre-planning • Messages should use visuals whenever possible

  13. Communication Strategies • Methods of Communication • Before an Emergency • Assessed resources available (power company) • Organized all the agencies intocall groups • Put all agencies on blast fax • During an Emergency • Magnet for emergency call-in • Yellow pages to advertise magnet • After an Emergency

  14. Communication Lines • Blind and visually Impaired contacts and communication information • Deaf, blind-deaf, hard of hearing or speech disability communication information • Tips for Public Health Responders when working with Special Populations

  15. Public Health Templates • Extreme Heat • Fire • Flood • Thunderstorms & Lighting • Tornado • Winter Weather

  16. Identify, Locate, and Maintain Census • Total Population in Service Area of 51,143 • 7% of population are considered disabled • We could not call every person with a disability to see if they were OK • No agency could do that job in an Emergency

  17. Special Call in Number • Agencies would call their own clients • “You call us” program for individuals not associated with agencies-Magnet • Advertise in pharmacies and phone book • Private sector assistance from manufacturing plants • Volunteers • Phone lines

  18. Save this magnet Call 1-800-564-0113 For information when the radio/TV says there is a local emergency. This number will only work in a COMMUNITY EMERGENCY. The developed magnet

  19. Meeting the Basic Needs • Food • Water • Shelter • Medications necessary for physical and mental stabilization • Safety from physical harm • Safety from Respiratory Infectious Disease transmission • Safety from Mental Harm • Care of Animals to include service animals

  20. Sheltering – Who shelters who where? “Some disagreements initially, but gradually came to consensus.” “ It was determined that the group, when planning for a disaster within the community , desired that families should be kept together in the same shelter facility without division or separation of individuals based on their unique needs”

  21. Other important Shelter assumptions • All individuals should be encouraged to plan ahead for a possible extended stay at a shelter • Agencies that serve special populations should assume the lead role in this planning • That shelters should be joint operations and the community needs to assist and support the American Red Cross in meeting the needs of special populations in a shelter.

  22. A few items the group felt shelters might need for special populations • Foam wedges or air beds • Oxygen • Wheelchairs, Walkers, Stool Risers • Batteries for hearing aids • Nutritional supplements • Canes and white canes for visually impaired • CD player with headphones • Adult and children's diapers • Supplies for service animals

  23. Pets are often more important than we might think to special populations

  24. Assisting individuals & Agencies in Preparedness Planning • Decided that there was not a “one size fits all” template for emergency preparedness • Adapted some existing templates for special populations check lists for emergencies • Included some public domain templates • Used some Community Created templates

  25. Resources Section • The handbook was never meant to be a finished product or to have all the answers • Evergreen document • Provides a wide variety of resources for agencies to look at for more information about the topic

  26. Identify the benefits ….. The MAPP-like community process serves to build networks and reinforce partnerships.

  27. More about reaching us • Rebecca Rayman, Executive Director East Central District Health Department Columbus, NE 68601 www.ecdhd.com rrayman@ecdhd.com

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