After Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, it became apparent that individuals and families impacted by disasters often
require case management services to regain self-sufficiency. However, at the time, there was no Federal authority to
fund disaster case management as part of a Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act
(Stafford Act) declaration. As a result, Congress passed the Post Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act of
2006 (PKEMRA) which "grants the President authority to provide case-management services, including financial
assistance to state or local government agencies or private organizations to provide such services, to victims of
major disasters" ("Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform Acto of 2006," 2006). Much has been
accomplished since 2006 to improve human service preparedness for a disaster, including the provision of disaster
case management for individuals and families. Many States, human service organizations, and Voluntary Agencies
Active in Disaster (VOAD) have developed plans that include provisions of, or support for, disaster case
management. However, there are still many States that do not have the capacity or plans for disaster case
management.
