November 2012 Volume 2, SPECIAL
ISSUE
SPECIAL ISSUE: HURRICANE SANDY RECOVERY INFORMATION
Michelle Davis, Regional Health Administrator, US DHHS OASH Region II
April Velasco, Deputy Regional Health Administrator, US DHHS OASH Region II
Sandra Bennett-Pagan, Office on Women’s Health
Justina Lawrence, Office of Minority Health
Kristen Lepore, Office of the Medical Reserve Corps
Angelica Ramirez, Regional HIV/AIDS Program
Delores Stewart, Office of Family Planning
Lakezia Carmichael, Public Health Advisor
Frankeena Wright, Public Health Advisor
Miranda Chung, Special Assistant
Marline Vignier, Special Assistant
HHS Offers Aid in the Wake of Sandy -
HHS has personnel on the ground in New York and New Jersey, providing public health and medical assistance. Find information on:
·
Mental
Health after a Disaster
·
Staying Safe in Cold Weather
·
Find a Red Cross shelter
currently open near you
Learn more at
www.hhs.gov/sandy.
Sandy Recovery Services: Feedback Needed and Resource List - We are providing this list of resources and information
below (see below):
FOR INDIVIDUAL DISASTER ASSISTANCE
For information on applying for disaster relief, please visit:
http://www.disasterassistance.gov/ and http://www.fema.gov/what-information-do-i-need-apply
or call the registration phone number at 1-800-621-3362; those who have a speech disability or hearing loss and use TTY, should call 1-800-462-7585 directly; for those who use 711 or Video
Relay Service (VRS), call 1-800-621-3362.
For information on FEMA and immigration status, please visit:
http://www.fema.gov/news-release/questions-and-answers-undocumented-immigrants-regarding-fema-assistance
For more information about Small Business Administration’s disaster assistance programs, visit
www.sba.gov/disaster,
call our disaster assistance center at 1-800-659-2955, or email [log in to unmask]
If you are in an area within a disaster declaration you may be eligible to
apply
for disaster assistance from SBA. Learn more at
http://www.sba.gov/content/2012-hurricane-and-tropical-storm-recovery-assistance-information.
Returning Home after a Disaster:
Be Healthy and Safe Stay safe from hazards a storm may leave in your home.
Visit
http://www.cdc.gov/Features/afteraflood/
for more information.
HHS information on protecting health immediately after a hurricane or to prepare for disasters is available at
www.phe.gov/emergency. In addition, the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention has health tips available by texting SANDY to 87000. For assistance contact
http://www.disasterassistance.gov/ or call the
FEMA Helpdesk at 800-745-0243.
New York Blood Center (NYBC), serving more than 20 million people in New York City, Long Island, the Hudson Valley, and New Jersey, projects a total cumulative shortfall
of up to 12,000 units in the next 30 days because of storm damage to locations where blood is collected. To counter this shortage, NYBC urges donors to visit
www.nybloodcenter.org to find locations
where they can give blood. For New Jersey you can also visit http://www.state.nj.us/health/njsave3lives/centers.shtml.
Resources for those Affected by Hurricane Sandy
Here
are some helpful resources and links as you and your clients deal with the aftermath of Sandy. We'll do our best to keep the information updated. Or visit
http://www.empirejustice.org/issue-areas/civil-legal-services/articles/legal-resources-for-those.html
Access to Disaster Benefits for Immigrants Without Status
There is an exception to the general rule that immigrants must be in a legal status to be eligible for federal public benefits and that is in the case of "short term,
non-cash, in kind emergency disaster relief." Thus emergency shelters for victims displaced by Hurricane Sandy, warming centers, and of course food pantries and soup kitchens are open to all.
[This
article also covers:]
You can also visit
http://www.empirejustice.org/issue-areas/immigrant-rights/access-to-public-benefits/misc/access-to-disaster-benefits.html#.UKapTGf-JIw
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INDIVIDUAL RESOURCES
Medical Reserve Corps (MRC)
MRC is a national network of local groups of volunteers committed to improving the health, safety, and resiliency of their communities supported by the US Department
of Health and Human Services but programs (“units”) are locally administered. Volunteers are credentialed, provided the necessary training, and then deployed as part of a given local/state response as needed. MRC volunteers supplement existing emergency and
public health resources. To learn more about becoming an MRC volunteer visit:
https://www.medicalreservecorps.gov/volunteerFldr/AboutVolunteering.
You can also find a unit in your area by visiting: http://www.medicalreservecorps.gov/FindMRC.
Community Emergency Response Team (CERT)
http://www.citizencorps.gov/cert/
The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Program educates people about disaster preparedness for hazards that may impact their area and trains them in basic disaster
response skills, such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization, and disaster medical operations. Using the training learned in the classroom and during exercises, CERT members can assist others in their neighborhood or workplace following
an event when professional responders are not immediately available to help. The program is supported by FEMA, and administered locally. To locate a CERT program in your area visit:
http://www.citizencorps.gov/cc/listCouncil.do?submitByState&stateOnly.
Disaster Medical Assistance Team (DMAT)
A DMAT is a group of professional and para-professional medical personnel (supported by a cadre of logistical and administrative staff) designed to provide medical
care during a disaster or other event. These individuals/teams are supported by the National Disaster Medical System, US Department of Health and Human Services. DMATs are designed to be a rapid-response element to supplement local medical care until other
Federal or contract resources can be mobilized, or the situation is resolved. To apply for a DMAT position visit:
http://www.phe.gov/Preparedness/responders/ndms/teams/Pages/recruitment.aspx.
ORGANIZATIONAL RESOURCES
National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disasters (VOAD)
National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, membership based organization that serves as the forum where organizations
share knowledge and resources throughout the disaster cycle—preparation, response and recovery —to help disaster survivors and their communities. Visit the VOAD homepage to locate your state/regional affiliate.
Citizen Corp Councils
http://www.citizencorps.gov/citizencorps/councils/councilindex.shtm
Citizen Corps Councils and their members continue to make a difference in communities around the United States. The Councils, which are federally sponsored and locally
administered, seek to develop a more resilient nation by promoting increased awareness of preparedness measures though public education and training, knowledge of volunteer support for response efforts, and fostering whole community support for comprehensive
emergency planning. Visit the Citizen Corps home page to find a council in your area.
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