Issue link: https://blog.providence.org/i/1367431
35 Despite the headway achieved through excellent relief and long-term recovery response, the re- search indicates that 1) there are needs that fall outside of the standard recovery framework and that 2) disaster planning will be key to future suc- cessful response. In order to meet those needs and define that plan, all stakeholders must invite dialogue about topics that sometimes elicit ten- sion and dissention such as vulnerability, equity, and resilience. So how do we start those conver- sations? How do we reimagine the future? The section that follows offers seven recommendations on how to imagine a stronger disaster response collaborative for that future. 7 Steps to a Stronger Regional Disaster Response Collaborative Embrace the gaps. The findings in this report, and in multiple pre-existing reports and needs assessments, have identified critical unmet needs created by the 2017 wildfires. • Housing and housing affordability is frequently identified as the most critical unmet need, and could soon become even more so as Additional Living Expenses (ALEs) expire and run out for many who lost homes. • Mental health, as many individuals continue to face stressors created and/or exacerbated by the wildfires and need ongoing support for a variety of conditions and concerns. • Personal finances and jobs, especially for the most socio-economically vulnerable, as many positions have shifted since the fires – either being eliminated, or wages not adjust- ing to the higher costs in the economy. • Environmental safety such as water cleanliness and other exposure to fire-born toxins through other means continue to be a concern for some. Community leaders must embrace the joint task of fulfilling unmet recovery needs through funding, program alignment, referral and communication. This is the new normal, and a con- tinuation of the response as the effort moves into its recovery and resilience phase. Consider Collective Impact to facilitate future disaster response and current recovery efforts. The unique collective problem of disaster preparedness and response could benefit from a specific kind of collective solution – the Collective Impact Model. While the model can take RE-IMAGINING THE FUTURE "All of our clients are experiencing a slow-moving disaster in their daily lives. As a department, we have to ask what does resilience look like? How can we vision this?" "The fires created an opportunity for us to re-imagine how we might do work in the future". RECOMMENDATIONS 1 2