National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster

After a disaster, volunteers can have a vital role in a community’s recovery efforts. However, sometimes having an outpouring of volunteer assistance can overwhelm disaster recovery efforts. This can be avoided if individuals volunteer through an established organization, such as a National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD) member. Volunteering through a VOAD can offer better communication and coordination, and in turn benefit recovery efforts.

This issue of The Dialogue from SAMHSA’s Disaster Technical Assistance Center (DTAC) highlights a sample of National VOAD members involved in behavioral health disaster response and recovery work. Authors share their experiences working with organizations that support individuals during and after a disaster. Each organization’s volunteers meet the needs of disaster survivors using similar and unique approaches.

Have you participated in disaster recovery efforts in a community or have experience working with a VOAD or other disaster recovery organization? Please email your experiences to us at DTAC@samhsa.hhs.gov. We’ll print selected reader comments in a future issue of The Dialogue.

Download the Full Issue [PDF – 1.88 MB]

Issue Highlights

Applying the “4 Cs” of the VOAD Movement to Disaster Emotional and Spiritual Care

VOAD members bring together a variety of communities including nonprofits, private, and faith-based organizations to work with the government and other agencies in order to provide aid during and after a disaster. Learn how the “4 Cs”—coordination, collaboration, cooperation, and communication—are applied during the disaster cycle.

Adding Canine Crisis Responders to the Team Builds Bridges

A HOPE Animal-Assisted Crisis Response team member describes the positive physical and emotional effects dogs can have on humans, especially after a traumatic event. Learn more about her experience volunteering with her two comfort dogs to provide support during disasters.

The Salvation Army: Helping Communities Recover From Disasters

Learn about how The Salvation Army aids survivors and disaster workers during the disaster cycle. Providing food, water, shelter, and emergency assistance is vital. It is also important to address the other needs of those involved in a disaster or disaster response, including emotional and spiritual care needs.

American Red Cross Disaster Mental Health

The American Red Cross Disaster Mental Health volunteer workforce is a team of over 2,000 licensed and previously licensed mental health professionals. They provide aid to those affected by disaster, including disaster responders. Learn more about the work they do, the training they receive, and opportunities to volunteer.

Recommended Resources

Promising Practices in Disaster Behavioral Health Planning: Building Effective Partnerships

This SAMHSA DTAC webcast strives to identify what makes a partnership effective and how to build it effectively. It describes the purpose of a partnership and the steps to build it well, with the support of an example featuring the Colorado Crisis Education and Response Network.

Topic Collection: Volunteer Management

The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response offers this collection to help health care facilities expand their teams with volunteers during major disasters and include volunteer management in emergency plans. The collection also features materials for managers of health care volunteer programs. Resources include articles, templates, trainings, and reports.

Faith Communities and Disaster Volunteerism

This two-page tip sheet from the National Disaster Interfaiths Network provides ideas for developing a volunteer program that remains strong and keeps volunteers motivated. Some tips include preparing a coordination plan, providing training, and limiting work hours. It also discusses the various roles available to volunteers during each phase of a disaster—mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery.

Light Our Way

This National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster guide for disaster response workers and volunteers, first responders, and disaster planners provides information on spiritual and emotional care in times of disaster. The guide is also available in Spanish.

Understanding How Victims Respond During a Disaster

This page from the Corporation for National and Community Service details important emotional stages that individuals may experience during and after a disaster. The page offers a variety of information for volunteers to be better prepared when assisting during a disaster, including actions to help better support victims.

About The Dialogue

The Dialogue, a quarterly technical assistance journal, is an arena for professionals in the disaster behavioral health field to share information, resources, trends, solutions to problems, and accomplishments. Read previous issues of The Dialogue.

The views, opinions, and content expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, or policies of the Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS), the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), or the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).