“Whole Community” as a Framework to Identify and Address Gaps in Vulnerable Populations Planning

Carol Dunn, Bellevue OEMMike Ryan, SHS Region 6/Z1 CoordinatorRobin Pfohman, Public Health- Seattle & King County

Objective

• Biological basis for why we need to change and tips to make it happen• What “Whole Community” Isn’t• What are the benefits and Challenges of moving

to “Whole Community” Planning?• Successful approach in King County• Lessons we are learning

Planning for the “Greater Good”• Assumes most cost efficient to focus on

the ‘mainstream’ population.• How people communicate• How people navigate• How engaged they are with the world• How people eat, stay healthy• Annexes, paragraphs and pdfs for anyone

else.

Biology in a Zero Sum World

Benjamin Asmusen

http://www.disclosurenewsonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/la-levee-blast.jpg

Modern Examples

• Providing emergency information only as an emailed press release.• Providing a different quality of information

for people who communicate in different ways. (Dumbing down vs. making simpler)• Not ensuring that facilities & Equipment

used are ADA compliant• Not building in funding for overcoming

accessibility challenges.

Lessons from the world of International Aid

• Unicef study: Focus on the areas that go wrong:• An equity-focused approach improves returns on

investment, and saves more lives. • Using the equity approach, a US $1 million

investment in toward the areas with the greatest disparities would avert an estimated 60% more deaths than the current approach.

Things “Whole Community” isn’t

•The new word for “Vulnerable populations”•Unfunded Mandate•Buzz Word

Whole Community is a paradigm Shift

What you can do:Decision makers• Build broadness into• Policies• Hiring• Budget

• Emphasize that this is a priority• Set quantifiable goals• Don’t try things just once

What you can do: The rest of us•Make it a personal commitment to push

towards planning for the whole community• Become a pitch person• Build Alliances-but not clubs• Remember you have the law supporting

your efforts• Teach yourself to think broadly and

challenge your first impulse

Focusing on and fixing what causes harm in disaster

• Difficulty getting warning about a danger(communication, resources, memory, engagement, awareness, timing)

• Difficulty getting away from or reducing danger

(mobility, resources, awareness)• Difficulty accessing help

(communication, sense of comfort, cultural, mobility, timing)

Remind yourself

• It’s OK that it won’t feel easy• It’s OK if you don’t always feel ‘smooth’• It’s OK to make mistakes•Most ‘fixes’ will be easier than it seems• Over time things will become easier and

more affordable

• Build in adequate time and funding to all you do.

What are the benefits of moving to “Whole Community” Planning?

• The benefits: • Planning is done With the community

and not for the community• Better leverages the SME and

expertise/resources of stakeholders at all levels• Better leverages existing relationships

and networks

What are the benefits of moving to “Whole Community” Planning?

• A “Force Multiplier” - Broader Participation in EM (Planning, Preparedness, Response, Recovery, Mitigation)• Strengthens resilience of the entire

community• Helps break down silos • Integrates the “Diverse” & “Complex”

What are the benefits of moving to “Whole Community” Planning?

• An inter-connected plan of action• Informed intent / consent• Better understands and responds to

community needs• Legitimizes / Recognizes communities’

capabilities• Empowers people to act

What are the challenges of moving to “Whole Community” Planning?

• Community Complexity • Faith • Ethnicity• Language• Accessibility Challenged

•Who are the influencers?

What are the challenges of moving to “Whole Community” Planning?

• State – Civil Society Relationships

• Social Capital and leadership

• Social Trust and Opportunities for Supporting local action

• “Meaningful Exchanges”

King County Framework

Vulnerable Populations Steering Committee and Operations Workgroup (VPOW)

King County: Vulnerable Populations Steering Committee and Workgroup

Purpose: develop a coordinated approach to emergency preparedness, response, and recovery to alleviate barriers for vulnerable populations in King County

How we planned to achieve it

1.Assess and analyze capacity and gaps. 2.Identify region-wide preparedness

priorities 3.develop clear, strategic direction with

defined goals for annual work plans.4.Leverage alternate funding sources.5.Develop a coordinated approach to

response for vulnerable populations.

Selecting Membership

Geography Role

Emergency planning Human Services Organization Community Based Organizations

Our Steering Committee & Workgroup

Emergency Management• Public Health - Seattle and King

County• Bellevue Emergency

Management• City of Shoreline • King County Office of

Emergency Management• City of Seattle Office of

Emergency Management• City of Renton Emergency

Manager• Zone One Emergency Manager

Human Services• Crisis Clinic• Seattle Human Services

Department• American Red Cross - King &

Kitsap Counties• United Way of King County• Catholic Community Services• Dept. of Social and Human

Services• King County Dept. of

Community and Human Services

How has this collaboration helped us

• Jointly defined vulnerable populations groups that constitute the scope of responsibility for the Steering Committee and Workgroup.

Physical Disability Immigrant CommunitiesLow Vision or Blind Undocumented PersonsDeaf, Deaf-Blind, Hard of Hearing Mentally IllOlder Adults Developmentally DisabledLimited English or Non-English Proficient Medically Dependent, Medically CompromisedChildren Chemically DependentHomeless and Shelter Dependent Clients of Criminal Justice SystemImpoverished Emerging or Transient Special Needs

Support to Community Based Organizations• Developed Standards and

Indicators for Emergency Preparedness and Response and created an Agency Emergency Planning website to support community based organizations with their planning:

www.kingcounty.gov/healthservices/health/preparedness/VPAT/standards.aspx

Working Together: Learning from each other• Hosted quarterly

trainings throughout King County in the emergency management zones to facilitate connection and learning between emergency managers, human services providers and community based organizations.

Developed Collaborative Disaster Case Management

• Developed a collaborative community-based disaster case management model for King County with planning to address both the small and large scale disaster

2012 Goals

• Incorporate social media tools into the Community Communication Network and explore expansion to regional tool • Expand our partnerships• Continue to coordinate preparedness and

response activities with Emergency Planning and Human Services agencies using the Whole Community principles• Develop a plan and strategy to address current

gaps in notification and warning systems for limited-English Speaking residents

Lessons we are learning• Collaboration and Partnership really is the

key• Sometimes an idea is just waiting for

leadership: you can be that leader—reach out• Keep reaching out, keep inviting new

people to join you.• There is a good chance that participant's at

events know more than you do-use that

Call or email for questions or collaboration• Robin Pfohman• Community Based Preparedness Program Manager• Seattle King County Public Health• (206) 263-8759• Robin.Pfohman@kingcounty.gov

• Mike Ryan• Zone One Emergency Management Coordinator• (425) 985-4619• MRyan@bellevuewa.gov

• Carol Dunn• Emergency Preparedness Coordinator• City of Bellevue Office of Emergency Management• (425) 452 7923• cdunn@bellevuewa.gov