Navigating Civil Legal Issues of Natural Disasters 3 - Ongoing Issues and Mitigation

Course Format: Self-paced Course
Developed by: WebJunction, in collaboration with Legal Services Corporation
Estimated time to complete: 2 hours

Overview

Course 3 captures the later phase of Recovery and delves into Mitigation. The crisis atmosphere may subside after six weeks or so, but the civil legal aspects of a natural disaster upheaval can extend well beyond six months. The experience of trauma is long-term. Issues around housing, finances, family, and education are all exacerbated by disaster and can take months, and even years to resolve. Scams and fraud connected to a disaster can continue for as long as there are potential victims. When library staff recognize the potential long-term impacts of a disaster, they will be prepared to provide information and referrals for legal issues that may emerge later. Library staff can also provide information about community mitigation efforts, which look for ways to prevent, lessen, or alleviate the adverse impacts of a disaster. The tactics are similar to preparation, but the key distinction is that mitigation steps happen after a disaster has already occurred. Mitigation is important because the best time to get people’s attention on preventative measures is right after a disaster when the experience is fresh. 

Learning Objectives

As a result of taking this course, library staff will be able to:

• Recognize and respond appropriately to signs of long-term trauma as a result of natural disaster.
• Recognize and provide information and resources about long-term legal issues that persist months/years after a disaster.
• Connect with the emergency management community to participate in community mitigation efforts.
• Provide information and guidance about mitigation opportunities available for their communities and individual survivors.