Diving Into Recovery Work

After summer storms and tornadoes damaged homes in Red Lake, Minnesota, Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota (LSSMN) sprang into action to help families recover. In the rush to begin work on damaged homes and make them safe before the harsh Minnesota winter hit, only very basic case files were started on each client while they waited for a local case manager to be hired. Once Carly (pictured here) was hired and oriented to the work, she took over the case files and began setting up client interviews to fill in documentation gaps and discuss recovery goals in more detail. This work is key to ensuring that the needs of clients were understood and met, and that services rendered to date were properly documented. The disaster case management process is also laying a good foundation for more in-depth services for clients for more advanced outstanding needs. LSSMN received a grant from the Midwest Early Recovery Fund to support their work, including database development and support, disaster case management services, reconstruction management, and volunteer coordination in response to floods in Minnesota.

(Photo source: Carly Vesledahl, LSSMN)