Dr Allison RowlandsDr Allison RowlandsNSW Department of Family and Community NSW Department of Family and Community

Services AustraliaServices Australia

Australia’s major Australia’s major natural disasters natural disasters Summer 2010-11: Summer 2010-11: recovery responses recovery responses and role of social and role of social

workwork

An international context:An international context:2009 figures 2009 figures

• 351 natural and 225 technological disasters

• Casualties (natural disasters: 10,551; technological disasters: 6,707)

• Persons affected (natural disasters: 142 million; technological disasters: 33,000)

• Deadliest = 1,117 Sumatran earthquake• 40 million people affected by Chinese flood

Haiti 1 year on: UNHaiti 1 year on: UN

• Latest estimate of fatalities 220,000 Latest estimate of fatalities 220,000 • 4,000 small, faith-based non-governmental 4,000 small, faith-based non-governmental

organizations doing small, local projects in Haiti organizations doing small, local projects in Haiti • 90% of NGO funding part of the UN coordination 90% of NGO funding part of the UN coordination

structure structure • Majority of the rubble had yet to be cleared; Majority of the rubble had yet to be cleared;

manual removal of rubble = more employmentmanual removal of rubble = more employment• 810,000 still living in 1,150 camps that still existed 810,000 still living in 1,150 camps that still existed

(half the peak camp population) (half the peak camp population) • 95% of children now back in school; 95% of children now back in school;

1,500 temporary premises 1,500 temporary premises • 30,000 shelters built; social housing a feature of 30,000 shelters built; social housing a feature of

the futurethe future

OverviewOverview

• Major floods, cyclone and bushfireMajor floods, cyclone and bushfire• Dimension of impact and losses Dimension of impact and losses • Social work responseSocial work response• Community rebuilding – process and Community rebuilding – process and

progressprogress• A framework for analysisA framework for analysis

Scale of the natural Scale of the natural disastersdisasters

• Brisbane region floods – Dec-Jan Brisbane region floods – Dec-Jan 20112011

• Victorian floods – Jan 2011Victorian floods – Jan 2011• Cyclone Yasi – Feb 2011Cyclone Yasi – Feb 2011• Western Australian bushfires – Feb Western Australian bushfires – Feb

20112011

Queensland Community Queensland Community RecoveryRecovery

• Department of Communities Department of Communities • Personal support servicesPersonal support services

– Personal support and information about the cause Personal support and information about the cause and effect of the disaster event on individuals and and effect of the disaster event on individuals and families, families,

– Temporary accommodation Temporary accommodation – Financial assistance to meet immediate individual Financial assistance to meet immediate individual

needs needs – Assistance to replace some household items lost Assistance to replace some household items lost

during the event during the event – Assistance with repairs to homes so it is safe and Assistance with repairs to homes so it is safe and

liveable again liveable again – Provision of an interpreter service, Provision of an interpreter service, – Help with cleaning up and other practical assistance Help with cleaning up and other practical assistance

Recovery CentresRecovery Centres

• Lodgment of and follow up of grant Lodgment of and follow up of grant applications for repairs, replacing contents applications for repairs, replacing contents etcetc

• Emotional and support services Emotional and support services • Assist with exploring accommodation Assist with exploring accommodation

optionsoptions– Crisis accommodationCrisis accommodation– Tenancy advice and referralTenancy advice and referral– Mortgage relief assistanceMortgage relief assistance

• Hubs for Queensland Government officers Hubs for Queensland Government officers

Community WellbeingCommunity Wellbeing

• National Disaster Relief and National Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements (NDRAA) Recovery Arrangements (NDRAA)

• Community Development and Community Development and Engagement Initiative Engagement Initiative

• Flexible Funding Program Flexible Funding Program

Community Development Community Development and Recovery Package and Recovery Package

$20m$20m

Social work – assessment Social work – assessment and interventionsand interventions

• Crisis intervention incl lifelineCrisis intervention incl lifeline• Community mental health interventions – coping Community mental health interventions – coping

with stresswith stress• Red Cross community outreachRed Cross community outreach• Referral for material aidReferral for material aid• Reaching out to studentsReaching out to students• Advocacy and systemic interventions eg replacing Advocacy and systemic interventions eg replacing

essential documentsessential documents• Information dissemination eg safe cleaning up; your Information dissemination eg safe cleaning up; your

car; your pets; flood rebuilding seminars; car; your pets; flood rebuilding seminars; volunteeringvolunteering

• Community newsletters and recovery plans; self help Community newsletters and recovery plans; self help infoinfo

Government InquiriesGovernment Inquiries

• Queensland Floods Commission of Queensland Floods Commission of InquiryInquiry

• 17.01.2011; report Feb 201217.01.2011; report Feb 2012• Community meetings with several Community meetings with several

flood-affected communities in March flood-affected communities in March 2011 2011

• Examples of submissionsExamples of submissions

Australian international Australian international Social Work response Social Work response

summer 2010-11summer 2010-11• Centrelink social workers off shore Centrelink social workers off shore

disaster supportdisaster support• On site or provision of support and follow On site or provision of support and follow

up to Australians returning from overseas up to Australians returning from overseas eventsevents

• NZ: Greymouth Mine disaster; NZ: Greymouth Mine disaster; Christchurch Earthquake; evacuations Christchurch Earthquake; evacuations from Egyptfrom Egypt

• Considerations for staff selection and Considerations for staff selection and supportsupport

• Challenges Challenges • InterventionsInterventions• ““surge capacity” – being responsive surge capacity” – being responsive

and flexible and knowing the limitsand flexible and knowing the limits• National coverage of social work National coverage of social work

workforceworkforce• Building knowledge and skill capacity Building knowledge and skill capacity

over last 10 years (Bali Bombing 2002)over last 10 years (Bali Bombing 2002)

Interventions Interventions

• Emotional support to people affectedEmotional support to people affected• Assessment Assessment • Information and referral Information and referral • DVI support with families and follow DVI support with families and follow

upup• Legal and financial complexitiesLegal and financial complexities• Family liaison person roleFamily liaison person role

• Case managementCase management• Interagency collaboration – within Interagency collaboration – within

Australian govt and on the groundAustralian govt and on the ground• Planning withdrawal eg level of Planning withdrawal eg level of

closeness – intimacy; boundariescloseness – intimacy; boundaries• Domestically – crisis intervention, Domestically – crisis intervention,

assessment, short term interventions assessment, short term interventions re grief and loss, assessment re re grief and loss, assessment re eligibility for financial support, eligibility for financial support, information and referral, advocacyinformation and referral, advocacy

Staff care and issuesStaff care and issues

• Selection criteriaSelection criteria• Pre-activation training and preparationPre-activation training and preparation• Convincing colleagues in government Convincing colleagues in government

eg authorities on the ground; eg authorities on the ground; representational role re what social representational role re what social work can dowork can do

• Constantly reassessing the role; Constantly reassessing the role; relationship building; acute awareness relationship building; acute awareness re what’s needed; strategic thinkingre what’s needed; strategic thinking

• Team buildingTeam building• Self careSelf care• Supervision and managing staffSupervision and managing staff• Media management and politics Media management and politics

management!management!• Debriefing Debriefing

A theoretical framework: A theoretical framework: Prof Beverley RaphaelProf Beverley Raphael

• Death and survivalDeath and survival• Loss and griefLoss and grief• Dislocation and relocationDislocation and relocation• Resilience, renewal and regenerationResilience, renewal and regeneration

– New strengths and understandingsNew strengths and understandings– More courageMore courage– Reevaluation of life Reevaluation of life – Reference point in one’s lifeReference point in one’s life

Loss and griefLoss and grief

• Loss of loved onesLoss of loved ones• Loss of homeLoss of home• Loss of communityLoss of community• Loss of work, money, material possessionsLoss of work, money, material possessions• Psychological lossesPsychological losses• Disillusionment; attachments and Disillusionment; attachments and

relationshipsrelationships• Mastering the experience and managing Mastering the experience and managing

feelingsfeelings• → → Social Work role?Social Work role?

Initial recovery Initial recovery interventionsinterventions

• Context of evacuationContext of evacuation– Loss of human dignity; privacy; social Loss of human dignity; privacy; social

networksnetworks– Strange environmentStrange environment– Quality of service provision; bureaucracyQuality of service provision; bureaucracy– UncertaintyUncertainty– Family tensionsFamily tensions

• Refugees Refugees • The young, the oldThe young, the old• → → Social Work role?Social Work role?

http://www.acchechnya.org/acc032.jpg

Community response and Community response and recoveryrecovery

• Initially shattered; fragmentedInitially shattered; fragmented• Unaffected areas respond; spontaneous and Unaffected areas respond; spontaneous and

unorganised response; convergence; unorganised response; convergence; emergent groupsemergent groups

• Organisational systems (infrastructure) starts Organisational systems (infrastructure) starts responding or response comes from outsideresponding or response comes from outside

• Level of training; degree of damageLevel of training; degree of damage• Leadership; flexibility and later rigidity?Leadership; flexibility and later rigidity?• Continuity in rolesContinuity in roles• Assessment and coordinationAssessment and coordination

• Altruism; high arousal; cooperation; solidarity Altruism; high arousal; cooperation; solidarity →→ therapeutic community” and development of therapeutic community” and development of

formal and informal infrastructuresformal and informal infrastructures• Training; skills; coordination; plansTraining; skills; coordination; plans• Negativity; disillusionment and reality bitesNegativity; disillusionment and reality bites• Concurrent family stresses and dislocation of Concurrent family stresses and dislocation of

social networkssocial networks• Limitations of recovery agencies and conflicts Limitations of recovery agencies and conflicts

appear; blameappear; blame– value of pre-planningvalue of pre-planning– politics and imagepolitics and image– mediamedia

• Coordination issues in international aidCoordination issues in international aid• SPHERE; UNDROSPHERE; UNDRO• Basic planning processes – assessment; goal Basic planning processes – assessment; goal

and objective setting; resourcing incl and objective setting; resourcing incl human resources; implementation; human resources; implementation; monitoring and review; coordination and monitoring and review; coordination and communication strategycommunication strategy

• Cultural awareness and sensitivity?Cultural awareness and sensitivity?• Who pays?Who pays?• Transition planningTransition planning• Politics Politics

Convergence of volunteers Convergence of volunteers and aid workersand aid workers

• Paedophile volunteered after Paedophile volunteered after Queensland floodsQueensland floods– Impossible to check backgroundsImpossible to check backgrounds– Suitability? Motivation? Supervision? Suitability? Motivation? Supervision?

Debriefing?Debriefing?

• Duplication of effortDuplication of effort• Liability issuesLiability issues

Social change as longer-Social change as longer-term community term community

consequenceconsequence• Population; in and out migrationPopulation; in and out migration• Economy and industry; workforce Economy and industry; workforce

participationparticipation• Community cohesionCommunity cohesion• Family structureFamily structure• Mental and physical healthMental and physical health• Anti social behaviourAnti social behaviour• Facilities and rebuildingFacilities and rebuilding• Social planningSocial planning• Engagement and participationEngagement and participation• Governance Governance

Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (2009)

Recovery and Reconstruction Recovery and Reconstruction Framework – Victorian Framework – Victorian

Bushfires 2009Bushfires 2009

ReferencesReferences

• Raphael, B. (1986) Raphael, B. (1986) When Disaster StrikesWhen Disaster Strikes. NY: . NY: Basic Books.Basic Books.

• http://www.communityservices.qld.gov.au/communhttp://www.communityservices.qld.gov.au/community/community-recovery/support-assistance/cycloneity/community-recovery/support-assistance/cyclone-yasi.html-yasi.html

• http://www.floodcommission.qld.gov.au/homehttp://www.floodcommission.qld.gov.au/home• International Federation of Red Cross and Red International Federation of Red Cross and Red

Crescent Societies (2010) Crescent Societies (2010) World Disasters Report World Disasters Report 2010.2010. www.ifrc.orgwww.ifrc.org

• UNICEF (2011) UNICEF (2011) Children in Haiti.Children in Haiti. www.unicef.org/haitiwww.unicef.org/haiti

• Victorian Bushfire Reconstruction and Recovery Victorian Bushfire Reconstruction and Recovery Authority (2009) Authority (2009) 100 Day Report100 Day Report. . http://www.wewillrebuild.vic.gov.auhttp://www.wewillrebuild.vic.gov.au