The project is administered through an interagency partnership between the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration.
The coordinator for the Tennessee Recovery Project, Deloris Kinniard, said some of the project goals are to reach large numbers of people affected by disasters through face-to-face outreach to shelters, homes and other locations; assess the emotional needs of survivors and make referrals to traditional behavioral health services when necessary; link children and adults to community resources and disaster relief services; and develop partnerships with local organizations, such as the Long-Term Recovery Organization.
Claude Milsaps, 60, and his wife, Sarah, 61, have been living in their garage since one of the storms all but destroyed their home on Wilhoit Drive. They are in the process of rebuilding.
He remembers when the tornado hit and trying to get Sarah and his two grandsons, Austin, 9, and Ethan, 5, to safety.
“I tried to open the door to the garage but there was too much suction. I couldn’t get it open and I just told them to dive under the (kitchen) table. We held each others hands and just started praying,” Milsaps said. “I knew we were all gone.”
“Are you doing OK?” Kinniard asked him. “Do the children get anxious?”
“When a storm comes up, but anybody would after they go through this,” he said, while his two grandchildren played on a stepladder. “It just scares you to death and you just don’t know what to do, really.”
Kinniard said someone would stop in on them again, maybe several times between now and May 31, 2012.
“Anytime you feel like you need help with counseling for the children or anything ... we will try to link you with those resources,” she said. “We also want to help you get back into your home.”
Milsaps said the only help he has is his family. His home suffered $150,000 in damage, but he was only insured up to $50,000. He said FEMA qualified him for a $109,000 loan. But, he is disabled because of his heart.
“My heart is awful weak,” he said. “They were scared to even put me to sleep when they done this (pacemaker), he said.
He could have borrowed the money to tear down their house and build a new one, “but if I was to die, my wife would lose everything,” he said.
Kinniard suggested referring him to the Long Term Recovery Organization.
“We’d like to link you with some of the local resources,” she said. “It’s not something we can do overnight. We want to help you move forward in anyway we can, not just to help you rebuild your home, but emotionally as well. Anytime you notice changes in their behavior or sleep patterns, call us and we’ll come out and try to find some services for these children.”
For more information about Tennessee Recovery Project, visit Tennessee Recovery Project Government Organization on Facebook or call 1-877-567-6051 or 1-800-704-2651.
What Is the CCP?
The CCP is composed of two grant programs:
• Immediate Services Program (ISP) — 60 days in duration
• Regular Services Program (RSP) — 9 months in duration
The CCP is:
• Authorized under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (Stafford Act)
• Funded by FEMA
• Requires a presidential declaration of disaster for individual assistance for short-term behavioral health support when disaster response needs are beyond states’ capacity
• Administered through an interagency federal partnership between FEMA and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Center for Mental Health Services
• Culturally competent, understanding, respectful, and sensitive to the cultural makeup of communities served
Who Can Provide CCP Services?
• States, U.S. Territories, and federally recognized tribes are eligible to apply for a CCP grant
• Services are typically provided to the affected areas by behavioral health organizations through contracts with a state’s department of mental health
• A combination of mental health professionals and paraprofessionals, who are trained and supervised to deliver an array of crisis counseling services
• CCP staff are usually indigenous to the affected communities and are sometimes survivors themselves
What Are the Goals of the CCP?
The CCP strives to:
• Reach large numbers of people affected by disasters through face-to-face outreach to shelters, homes, and other locations
• Assess the emotional needs of survivors and make referrals to traditional behavioral health services when necessary
• Identify tangible needs and link survivors to community resources and disaster relief services
• Provide emotional support, education, basic crisis counseling, and connection to familial and community support systems
• Train and educate CCP staff and other community partners about disaster reactions, appropriate interventions, and CCP services
• Develop partnerships with local disaster and other organizations
• Work with local stakeholders to promote community resilience and recovery
• Collect and evaluate data to ensure quality services and justify program efforts
• Leave behind a permanent legacy of improved coping skills, educational and resource materials, and enhanced community linkages
What Are the Key Principles of the CCP Model?
CCP is:
• Strengths Based — CCP services promote resilience, empowerment, and recovery
• Anonymous — Crisis counselors do not classify, label, or diagnose people; no records or case files are kept
• Outreach Oriented — Crisis counselors deliver services in the communities rather than wait for survivors to seek their assistance
• Conducted in Nontraditional Settings — Crisis counselors make contact in homes and communities, not in clinical or office settings
• Designed To Strengthen Existing Community Support Systems — The CCP supplements, but does not supplant or replace, existing community systems.
