Disaster Human Services Case Management
OHSEPR implements the Disaster Human Services Case Management (DHSCM) program in accordance with Section 426 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act which authorizes the President to “provide case management services, including financial assistance, to state or local government agencies or qualified private organizations to provide such services, to victims of major disasters to identify and address unmet needs.”
OHSEPR provides DHSCM services through its partnership with FEMA. When the President declares a major disaster under the Stafford Act, which includes FEMA’s Individual Assistance program, the declared state, tribe or territory may request DHSCM services via the federal program.
OHSEPR is the domestic lead for the U.S. Repatriation Program which was established in 1935 under Section 1113 of the Social Security Act to provide temporary assistance to private U.S. citizens and their dependents identified by the Department of State (DOS) as having returned from a foreign country to the United States because of destitution, illness, war, threat of war, or a similar crisis, and are without available resources.
ACF Emergency Response Readiness Force
The Emergency Response Readiness Force (ERRF) is a cadre of dedicated ACF employees who volunteer to leverage their knowledge, skills, and expertise in human services and ACF program delivery to support communities that have been impacted by Presidentially declared disasters and emergencies. ACF’s Office of Human Services Emergency Preparedness and Response (OHSEPR) manages the ERRF cadre.