Disasters are just waiting to happen and they can cause an agonizing wait until they strike. Fires, floods, heat waves, hurricanes, ice and snowstorms, tornadoes, school violence and toxic spills are among the disaster scenarios which occur with surprising regularity every year in North Carolina, according to figures kept by the North Carolina Division of Emergency Management. But, no matter how disasters happen, they lead to the same crises of human suffering.
Disasters are the source of intense stress for families and individuals.
They put extraordinary strain on our resources and workforce. We have learned, most recently with Hurricane Floyd, that there are important roles for North Carolina public health social workers to take in times of disaster, but many were excluded from helping because public health social workers were not included in most county emergency plans across the state. Other social workers were exempted due to lack of American Red Cross credentials. The purpose of this project is to provide the training information and certification needed by North Carolina public health social workers to respond in times of disaster. Successful completion of this course will also certify participants for disaster work with the American Red Cross.