Immediate Disaster Case Management Directs Survivors to Needed Resources

GUAYNABO, Puerto Rico, April 23 -- The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency issued the following news release:

Survivors of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico can get help with food, housing, transportation and medical equipment even if they have not registered with FEMA.

Immediate Disaster Case Management is a FEMA funded program that assigns a case manager to work with applicants one-on-one, directing them to resources and helping them to develop a personalized disaster recovery plan.

Case managers can help survivors with:

* Assessing survivors' disaster-related needs

* FEMA registration

* FEMA appeals process

* Creating a goal-oriented plan for recovery

* Developing a permanent housing plan

* Directing them to groups that provide necessary resources such as food, clothing, furniture, appliances, transportation, employment, financial assistance, health insurance, medical equipment, legal referral services, senior services, behavior health services, child and youth services

* Monitoring progress of recovery plans

In partnership with Puerto Rico, the program enables a community approach through voluntary, faith-based and non-profit organizations that offer various forms of help.

Immediate Disaster Case Management Program is a time-limited partnership funded by FEMA and administered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Administration for Children and Families.

Survivors with disaster-related unmet needs can call the Immediate Disaster Case Management program at 855-742-5993 (English/Spanish) from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. (AST). Persons who are deaf, hard of hearing or have a speech disability and use TTY may visit www.puertoricorelay.com/tty.

Disaster case managers are bilingual (English/Spanish) and work in most of the disaster recovery centers.

For more information on Puerto Rico's recovery visit FEMA.gov/Disaster/4339.