Continued Disaster Technical Assistance Project
Continuums of Care (CoC) and HMIS implementations in the Gulf Coast communities impacted by last year’s devastating hurricanes have a new resource to call upon – HUD’s Disaster Technical Assistance Project (DTAP). This new initiative focuses assistance efforts on HMIS implementations and continuums of care in the affected areas.
DTAP team members began work in Mississippi and Louisiana just days after Hurricane Katrina. They responded to local requests for a Katrina-specific database to help track services to evacuees, worked in shelters, and provided much needed equipment and training to implementations in the area. Most importantly, they helped local stakeholders to work together to maximize resources during a time when those resources were stretched to capacity.
Since January, HUD’s DTAP has provided technical assistance to CoCs that are working to rebuild their housing and service capacity. In addition, DTAP is working to ensure that resource information can be made available to case managers around the country who are serving evacuees from the region. In order to keep all interested parties up to date on DTAP’s progress and on the resources made available through the project, the DTAP team has begun sending out regular emails to CoC and HMIS staff in the region and will also be posting information on the HMIS listserv. The purpose of these communications is not only to keep CoCs around the country informed of resources available, but also to solicit feedback from communities on additional technical assistance needs in the field related to the DTAP project. Documents related to DTAP will be posted in the www.hmis.info resource library at http://www.hmis.info/national_docs.asp?topic_id=19 under the heading "Gulf Coast Hurricane Relief (DTAP)."
DTAP is currently working with local information and referral providers to develop a regional resource directory to assist Louisiana citizens displaced around the country, which will include up-to-date information on agency and program level services along with volunteer and wish list needs. CoCs and case managers working with displaced citizens will soon be able to access the best available data to assist their clients. DTAP team members are now working on the site to add information, resources and improve usability. Please stay tuned for the HMIS listserv announcement of the site when it becomes available.
If you are in an area affected by last year’s hurricanes and need technical assistance or have questions about DTAP, please go to the “Ask the Expert or Request Technical Assistance” button on the www.hmis.info web site and your email will be routed to the DTAP team. Additionally, DTAP team members can be reached as follows:
David Canavan: david@davidcanavan.com
Ann Oliva: ann.oliva@gmail.com
Fran Ledger: fran@davidcanavan.com
Richard Rankin: rrankin@dataremedies.com
Brian Sokol: brian_sokol@abtassoc.com