Disaster Preparation and Trauma Mitigation

Through Disaster Preparation and Trauma Mitigation (DPTM), World Cares Center equips communities and emergency managers with the knowledge and resources needed for a safe, effective and integrated disaster response. When a disaster strikes, an enormous amount of resources freely offered by people, businesses and organizations descend upon managers trying to coordinate official emergency response. Emergency managers find themselves dealing with these resources as the “disaster within the disaster” rather than the “force multipliers” they can be in relief efforts with proper training and coordination.

WCC’s DPTM Program works to bridge the service and training gap between Spontaneous Unaffiliated Community Volunteers (SUCVs) and official disaster managers. Opting not to affiliate with an official response agency, SUCVs lack access to information and services regarding emotional, social and physical preparedness and recovery. This directly contributes to their underutilization and mismanagement during an initial disaster response. In order to increase the efficiency of this vital community resource, WCC created two unique training series for both SUCVs and the emergency managers who may lead them, Grassroots Readiness and Response and Leading and Managing Spontaneous Unaffiliated Community Volunteers.

The Leading and Managing Spontaneous Unaffiliated Community Volunteers training series teaches emergency managers, volunteer managers, public health officials and faith-based and community leaders the skills to effectively utilize community volunteers who spontaneously respond during a disaster. The three-module curriculum presents volunteer managers with three essential emergency preparedness models—spontaneous volunteer management, volunteer reception centers and organizational continuity planning—in order to enhance their current disaster response initiatives.

WCC provides training for governmental organizations including 20 offices of emergency management across America, the U.S. Military, CERT and MRC; The National Voluntary Agencies Active in Disasters, The International Association of Emergency Managers and private nonprofits such as YMCA of Baton Rouge; American Red Cross; New York Salvation Army; Lions Club International; and the Northeast Crisis Response Coalition. WCC also trains student volunteers from Columbia University, Fordham University, New York University and Metropolitan College.

To learn more about specialized trainings click on the links below: