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LSS wins $24.3 million to serve Ike survivors

Posted Tuesday, June 16, 2009

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Lutheran Social Services Disaster Response has been awarded a grant to provide case management services to more than 13,000 survivors of Hurricane Ike in 16 Texas counties devastated by the storm, including Brazoria County.

LSSDR, which is based in Austin, has a track record of providing effective case management services. Following Hurricane Katrina, LSSDR worked with more than 10,600 families in Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi to develop recovery plans and access resources.

LSSDR also has been awarded a $331,000 grant to train caseworkers for agencies in 34 counties who will be serving Ike survivors. Case management services for disaster survivors will be offered beginning in June.

The grant is funded by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency and administered by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission.

Long-term disaster case management is a critical element in successful disaster recovery efforts. Case managers with local partner agencies will meet with hurricane survivors to assess their needs and develop realistic, concrete recovery plans for affected families. Case managers, who stress personal responsibility to clients to follow through on recovery plans, will also advocate for clients before long-term recovery committees and other agencies.

“We are humbled by the opportunity to once again provide much-needed services to disaster victims, especially those who have the least resources as they work toward rebuilding their lives,” said Kurt Senske, president and CEO of Lutheran Social Services. “This is an excellent opportunity to take the lessons learned after Hurricane Katrina to work shoulder-to-shoulder with survivors and help them get back on their feet as quickly as possible.”

The LSSDR case management program, named Recovery for Ike Survivors Enterprise (RISE), is designed to provide help, support and advocacy for more than 13,000 survivors of Hurricane Ike as they recover from the disaster. RISE disaster case management is available through a collaborative network of nine local agencies in 16 counties of southeast Texas, including Austin, Chambers, Fort Bend, Galveston, Grimes, Hardin, Jefferson, Liberty, Madison, Matagorda, Montgomery, Orange, Walker, Waller and Washington.

LSSDR and its partner agencies will work closely with local government officials, community organizations and others involved in Hurricane Ike relief efforts to match families in need with goods and services so they can rebuild their lives.

Partner agencies for Brazoria County are Boat People SOS; GMC Consultants LLC; G.R.A.C.E. Community Services and Gulf Coast Center.

For information about disaster case management services in your area, please call 1- 888-IKE-RISE (1-888-453-7473) or visit www.TexasRise.org.

LSSDR is an affiliated program of Lutheran Social Services of the South, a multi-faceted social service agency that serves more than 35,000 people annually throughout Texas and Louisiana. Programs include disaster response, foster care, international and domestic adoption, unplanned pregnancy services, post-adoption services, independent and assisted living, skilled nursing care and rehabilitation services, adult day care, geriatric care management and emergency assistance. LSSDR provides services without regard to religion, gender, ethnicity or race.

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