Dr. Kristie Holmes and Barbara Colwell, LCSW discuss how the Redcross supports emergency management services during natural disasters. The American Red Cross prevents and alleviates human suffering in the face of emergencies by mobilizing the power of volunteers and the generosity of donors. Citation Holmes, Kristie and Colwell, Barbara. Natural Disasters, Mental Health, and Practice […]

View Full Article - Natural Disasters, Mental Health, and Practice in Action

By Fernando Tormos, Gustavo García-López, and Mary Angelica Painter After a hurricane strikes, governments and electric utility companies go to work restoring a sense of normalcy to their communities. Typical disaster recovery efforts include providing food and shelter to the displaced and medical services to the injured, and turning the power back on. While governments […]

View Full Article - How Inequality and Politics Influence Government Responses to Natural Disasters

Federally declared disasters have increased by 40% over the last 15 years, according to the Clinical Social Work Journal, and internationally, those numbers are higher. Over just the last two decades, natural disasters have doubled. In the past, the term “disaster” was poorly defined, leading to emergency response plans that were a one-size-fits-all solution to multifaceted problems. This […]

View Full Article - How Social Workers Play A Role In Disaster Relief

Year by year, hurricanes are growing stronger and more frequent. We are witness to these changes as we watch two catastrophic storms devastate the southeastern United States in as many weeks. This month, Hurricane Michael slammed the Florida Panhandle, southern Virginia, and the Carolinas. The massive storm killed at least 16 people, flooded cities, highways, and rivers, […]

View Full Article - Work Together to Prepare for the Next Big Storm

How people on the East Coast fare as Hurricane Florence reaches landfall will depend in large part on what they have done to themselves to prepare in advance, says Beth Gazley, professor in the Indiana University School of Public and Environmental Affairs. Disaster resilience begins, she said, by understanding how environmental change has kicked up the […]

View Full Article - How Not to Be a Victim When Natural Disaster Strikes

Being equipped to respond to a medical emergency brings you one step closer to saving someone’s life. Though you may never encounter a critical situation, the chances are you’ll one day need to apply your first aid knowledge, meaning you could really help someone in a time of need. First aid is usually taught, at […]

View Full Article - The Importance of First Aid Training for Young People

Those who have worked in disaster areas know that coordination and transport can be difficult, but with the USS Comfort leaving Puerto Rico after admitting less than 300 patients when there is unmet need isn’t a great sign of success. Hurricane Maria made landfall on September 20, 2017. The Comfort, which is essentially a floating […]

View Full Article - Lessons in the Current Puerto Rican Disaster

This message from the National Social Work Association (NASW) Puerto Rico Chapter was sent to Mark Nichols, NASW manager of chapter services, in a series of cellphone text messages during the afternoon of Oct. 3. It has been slightly edited. We wish to share it with members and the wider social work community. NASW will […]

View Full Article - NASW Puerto Rico Chapter Sends Message Detailing Dire Situation on Island

Roy was my partner for most of our deployment with Red Cross on the Disaster Mental Health Team in Texas. We spent many hours on the road mostly on our own, with the exception of “ride to the office” or “back to the shelter” caravans, which could be quite crowded as there were few available […]

View Full Article - Rescue to Recovery Stages in a Red Cross Disaster Deployment

Facebook announced that their crisis response tools, including Safety Check, Community Help, and Fundraisers, will be accessible in a new center on Facebook called Crisis Response. Beginning today, people will also be able to see more crisis-related content, such as links to articles, photos and videos posted by the Facebook community, from crises around the […]

View Full Article - Facebook Introduces a New Center for Crisis Response

Recently, NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt headlined a story entitled “American Red Cross Fails to Pay Funds Promised to Many Harvey Victims”. The report discussed the failure of the American Red Cross to disburse funding to the victims of Hurricane Harvey. As a volunteer with Red Cross, this report raised my concerns for several reasons, […]

View Full Article - NBC Nightly News Headline on the American Red Cross is Deeply Misleading

COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (Sept. 13, 2017) – Food For The Poor is rushing emergency relief to Barbuda, St. Maarten, the U.S. Virgin Islands and other areas in the Caribbean to meet the dire needs of those who survived Hurricane Irma, which slammed the islands as a Category 5 storm with 185 mph winds last week. The […]

View Full Article - Food For The Poor Rushes Emergency Supplies to Caribbean Islands Destroyed by Hurricane Irma

As Hurricane Irma makes landfall in Florida, the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and other federal agencies, along with non-profit, faith- and community-based organizations, and volunteers will be working together to provide services and assistance to help those affected by the destructive storm. “Right now where we need citizens, neighbors […]

View Full Article - How to Volunteer for Hurricane Irma Disaster Relief

With Hurricane Irma on course to hit Florida, United Way stands ready to help storm victims with 2-1-1, an information and referral service that can provide local information about shelters, food and water, health resources, and other needs related to hurricane recovery or anything else. Anyone in need of assistance should call or text 2-1-1 to […]

View Full Article - United Way’s 2-1-1 Information Service Stands Ready to Help Those Impacted by Hurricane Irma

Take it from someone who has seen 27 inches of water lap against the living room walls: plan ahead. No photo album should live lower than three feet in a cabinet. Children’s cheerleader pom-poms and refrigerator art are no longer stashed on the closet floor. And, never throw away old phone books — they can […]

View Full Article - Hurricane & Flood Handbook: After the Storm