Graduation Year

Spring 5-12-2023

Document Type

Capstone

Degree Type

Open Access Capstone

Abstract

Hello and thank you for reading my capstone project, which focuses on utilizing interprofessional collaboration to assist clients and communities with disaster relief. My practicum placement was at a crisis center in the next town over. I shadowed and assisted staff with working with clients and the community. A natural disaster had occurred while I was at my practicum placement. Near the end of July in 2022 a massively, devastating flood had hit South Eastern KY and several surrounding counties. The flood happen so sudden people hardly had any warning. People’s homes, vehicles, animals, and personal belongings were washed away. The flood had also taken several lives.

The National Guard had to airlift stranded individuals off of mountain sides, and roof tops. Individuals in boats came to rescue people off of tree tops and phone poles that they had climbed in order not to drown. Whole communities were decimated in the matter of hours and the water was still rising. First responders and disaster relief workers began to arrive by the dozens and then hundreds. People from several other states offered their assistance and came to us in our time of need. I accompanied crisis center staff to assist flood victims and the community. We arrived at one of several headquarters that were set up for flood relief workers to assemble and be assigned a target area and community. We were assigned to and formed an interprofessional team that consisted of doctors, mental health providers, Red Cross of America volunteers, FEMA agents, EMT’s, Psychologists, teachers, crisis workers, case managers, community partners/ resource providers and etc.

I will be discussing clients and communities that our interprofessional team had assisted. I will mainly be discussing Client A. Client A is an individual that lost his home, most of his belongings and almost lost his life. We assisted client A with locating temporary shelter, medical/ mental health care needs, basic necessities, filing claims, and getting ready to move in their new home. My practicum had ended before client A had moved in his new home, but they had ran into me later on and said that they were adjusting and appreciated our help. Our interprofessional team had also assisted several other clients and communities. We worked together as a team and accomplished helping others in need. I had applied and provided examples of each of the 9 social work core competencies to my practicum.

First Advisor

Ann M. Callahan

First Advisor Affiliation

Social Work

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