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Has your State/National Society/Institution incorporated the commitments contained in this resolution into the relevant strategic or operational plans?
YesThe commitments are incorporated into:
Strategy
Policy
Operational planAt the National, Local level
Explanation:
Much of the commitment in this resolution is executed through our Disaster Mental Health and partnerships across Disaster Cycle Services.
Disaster Mental Health Program (DMH)
The American Red Cross Disaster Mental Health Program provides direct support to disaster impacted individuals from both large-scale disasters (e.g., hurricanes, wildfires, and mass shootings) small, localized emergencies such as the over 60,000 house fires per year that occur across the nation. Our Disaster Mental Health volunteers are licensed and credentialed professionals who come to the organization with strong mental health skillset embrace our humanitarian principles, providing emotional support, advocacy and psychoeducation to Red Cross clients and workers.
Support to and through the general disaster workforce
The Disaster Mental Health program is based on the provision of Psychological First Aid and other supportive interventions to our volunteer and paid workforce.
We also have a community focused Psychological First course that was recently taught to employees of Maui County following the 2023 devastating Wildfires. and psychoeducation in the community.
Prior to deploying workers to national disaster relief operations, the American Red Cross Disaster Mental Health and/or Disaster Health Services teams conducts pre-deployment assessments using a Pre-Assignment Health Questionnaire (PAHQ). The questionnaire assesses a worker’s potential physical and psychological vulnerabilities that may inhibit their ability to conduct their disaster-related responsibilities. When mental health-related concerns are identified, workers are contacted by a DMH team member to further determine if the worker will be able to safely deploy. For mass casualty incidents, all workers must have a conversation with a trained member of the Disaster Mental Health team prior to being assigned to the disaster relief operation.
In 2023, the American Red Cross reintroduced the requirement to have dedicated staff mental health workers assigned to an operation. These workers provide direct supportive intervention (PFA) and psychoeducation to the deployed workforce. The Staff DMH Team provides a 24-hour phone number for workforce support along with contact information for the Disaster Distress Helpline, staffed by a national external partner.
The American Red Cross DMH Team also provides support to the workforce through post-deployment “check-ins primarily conducted at the regional level. During 2023, The American Red Cross DMH program charged a work group to gather information and best practices in support of making recommendations to Red Cross leadership on the potential creation of a Workforce and Family Support Program in 2024-2025.
Direct Client and Community Support
Disaster Mental Health volunteers are available to clients in-person and/or virtually on all size disasters providing early access to mental health and psychosocial support. DMH workers receive referrals to support clients directly through a variety of pathways including direct contact in shelters and service sites and referrals through RC Care, our client management system of record.
Disaster Mental Health volunteers and our Long-Term Recovery Casework volunteers also have the authority to provide limited financial assistance directly to clients to help them support their immediate mental health needs or access additional mental health care in the community, providing sustained access to mental health and psychosocial support.
When a disaster-related fatality occurs a team of Disaster Mental Health, Disaster Spiritual Care, Disaster Health Services, and/or Disaster Casework personnel to provide condolences to the family, provide psychosocial support, and financial assistance to help support the family to meet their needs as they grieve the loss of their loved one.
During large scale mass casualty and fatality incidents, we supplement local community mental health and spiritual care providers, often supporting memorials or providing other early mental health and spiritual care support as requested by individuals or government partners. Based on our neutrality and fundamental principles we are also often called upon to support the family of the perpetrator or alleged perpetrator.
We also partner closely with the Disaster Distress Helpline, a national non-governmental organization, by transferring clients who call in directly to the Red Cross 1-800 number that would benefit from immediate crisis intervention support. We also share their materials and contact information directly with clients and the disaster workforce.
Disaster Spiritual Care Team (DSC)
The American Red Cross Disaster Spiritual Care volunteers are faith professionals such as are board-certified chaplains, professional chaplains or endorsed leaders of a local faith community or faith-based organizations. These volunteers enter the organization with strong faith-based skillsets who reinforce our humanitarian principles and provide spiritual support and guidance to Red Cross clients and workers.
The Disaster Spiritual Care (DSC) program provides culturally sensitive services to meet the spiritual and religious needs of disaster-affected individuals, families, and communities. The role of the Disaster Spiritual Care team member is:
To assist people in drawing upon their own spiritual resources, values, and/or faith/spiritual tradition.
When requested, supporting clients and workers by offering emotional, spiritual, and religious support in keeping with an individual’s identified preferences regarding faith, religious traditions, or spirituality.
Serve as a connection between a specific faith/spiritual/religious tradition of the client and an appropriate faith/religious/spiritual care provider in the local community when appropriate.
Support local faith/spiritual community and help navigate relationships with Red Cross Regions to help strengthen and build coordination with community faith-based providers and organizations during Disaster Relief Operations.
Community Adaptation Program
As an organization that supports people at their most vulnerable amid the heartbreak of disasters as a result of extreme weather, the Red Cross is making strategic investments that enable us to grow our capacity and adapt our disaster mission to help families and communities better cope with the humanitarian crisis caused by the climate change.
Firsthand, we see how chronic health and mental health conditions, food insecurity, and the availability of safe and affordable housing are worsened by disasters.
The Red Cross partners with local nonprofit organizations that specialize in addressing and responding to the impacts of health insecurity, hunger, and the lack of available housing to build more resilient communities in disaster-prone areas, especially those already vulnerable to societal inequities.
The Community Adaptation Program is an immersive collaboration with hyper-local partners intended to holistically enhance their ability to provide increased access to health and mental health services, nutritious food and safe housing for local families who are underserved. In turn, our partners will commit to working with the Red Cross during times of disaster to help get local families back home and mitigate disaster-caused poverty. The primary focus of the Community Adaptation Program is to forge collaborative relationships with partners and work with them to design enhancements that increase the partner’s steady-state capacity and capabilities, as well as their ability to provide community services during and after disasters.
The Community Adaptation Program currently operates in 15 counties/parishes across the country, which were selected based on social vulnerability and natural hazard risk factors. The Red Cross is expanding to three additional counties in 2024.
The Red Cross is evaluating the successes and challenges in current CAP locations and then applying lessons learned for future program expansion. (upon request we can provide examples of grants and locations served).
Additional Key Initiatives
Additional work towards this resolution is also executed across branches within Disaster Cycle Services.
The Community Engagement and Partnerships Program supports the deployment of trained childcare and Child Life Specialists to Red Cross Disaster Relief Operations to work in shelters or other requested service sites (upon request we should be able to provide deployment statistics).
The Long-Term Recovery program provides grants to community organizations including those providing much needed mental health services to communities.
The Prepare with Pedro program for grades K – 2 teaches students how to be prepared for disasters and take protective action. The program has various hazard resources, including one dedicated to building resilience and coping skills. In 2020, the Prepare with Pedro Resilience & Coping Skills Activity Book and Cartoon were released. The activity book and video are introduced to children in different ways to understand feelings along with activities to potentially help them cope with stress and anxiety after an emergency occurs. It also provides information for caregivers on common behaviors and reactions to an emergency and tips to support children.
In 2024, a Client Care Program staff leader was appointed to the Steering Committee for the Disaster Distress Helpline and a Council on Social Work Education Disaster Relief Social Work Curriculum Guide Taskforce.
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Has your State/National Society/Institution been working with other partners to implement the commitments contained in this resolution?
YesPartner with:
OtherExamples of cooperation:
Please see descriptions above. Direct examples can be provided upon request.
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Have you encountered any challenges in implementing the commitments contained in this resolution?
YesWith challenges on:
Human resources
Competing prioritiesDetails about challenges:
Given the changing nature of volunteerism and national reductions in the mental health professional workforce, the American Red Cross faces the challenge of having adequate capacity to meet the mental health needs of disaster survivors in the aftermath of disaster. The Red Cross relies heavily on supporting existing local mental health resources in a disaster-impacted community and not supplanting such resources.
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Have the commitments contained in this resolution had an impact on the work and direction of your State/National Society/Institution?
No -
Have the commitments contained in this resolution had an impact on the communities that your State/National Society/Institution serves?
No
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