Unmet Needs Roundtables

submitted by Peter B. Gudaitis

unmetneedsroundtable.org

MISSION STATEMENT

Building the capacity of case workers and donors to match the unmet needs of disaster impacted people with resources that ensure a client’s sustainable recovery on a case-by-case basis

About Unmetneedroundtable.Org

New York Disaster Interfaith Services (NYDIS) is committed to supporting the long term recovery of all disaster affected communities by meeting the sustainable recovery needs of individuals and families on a case-by-case basis. This can be facilitate by the use of UNMETNEEDSROUNDTABLE.ORG, a website and secure database system designed to support the creation and ongoing facilitation of Unmet Needs Roundtables in response to federally or locally declared disasters in the United States. Unmet Needs Roundtables (sometimes called LTROs or Unmet Needs Tables or Recovery Committees) are established mechanisms used to facilitate the sustainable long-term recovery of a disaster-affected community on a case-by-case basis. Roundtables allow individual or agency-based donors to work collaboratively with human service case management providers to determine how donated funds can be used most effectively to support disaster victims in attaining long-term, sustainable recovery from their disaster-caused needs. This site is designed to assist a range of community members from victims seeking guidance on where to find case management assistance; to case managers in need of information on where or how to secure unmet needs assistance for their clients; to donors seeking information on how to participate in the unmet needs process in their disaster impacted community.

Currently this web-based system is used to manage the ongoing work of New York City-based Unmet Needs Roundtables. However, NYDIS seeks to expand this site so that it can be used by disaster-affected communities across the United States by developing a “meta system”, with universal application forms and data collection tools. By sharing database technology, training/case presentation materials and lessons learned in creating and facilitating unmet needs roundtables for 9/11 and Katrina evacuees in New York City, NYDIS hopes that other organizations in the United States wishing to sponsor an unmet need roundtable in their disaster affected community will find the task easier and accomplish it faster by adapting the tools available here.

The Unmet Needs Roundtable database is a tool for administration, accountability and reports to donors or the community at large regarding the outcomes and activities of an unmet needs roundtable. The Unmet Needs Roundtable Database:

• Mitigates against duplication of aid to disaster-impacted clients in long-term recovery
• Assists donors in confidently giving disaster assistance effectively with accountability and reporting mechanisms for communication with stakeholders.
• Effectively assists organizations in recruiting new donors as long-term needs unfold in disaster impacted communities.
• Tracks client outcomes and progress toward recovery from the impact of the disaster
• Allows organizations responding in the immediate aftermath of a disaster to create unmet needs roundtables faster and more efficiently, thereby keeping minimal administrative overhead cost for the creation of unmet needs roundtable and expediting aid to clients
• Is a tool for tracking trends in disaster-caused needs and populations effected so that these can be communicated to the public-at-large.