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Disaster Recovery

The Salvation Army URL has changed to salvationarmy.org.au

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Disaster Recovery

Disaster recovery is a coordinated process that involves all Salvation Army services working together to provide assistance to individuals and communities that meets them at their point of need, throughout the journey of recovery.

This assistance can include financial assistance, material aid, personal support, Chaplaincy services, financial counselling and casework.

Disaster Recovery is long term and it can take several months, and in most cases several years, for people to rebuild their lives again.

Join our Disaster Recovery Volunteers Team

We invite skilled, experienced and willing personnel to join our disaster recovery volunteer list. When you join our volunteer list you will be contacted if we need personnel to assist during a disaster or emergency. 

Specific Volunteers Roles include (please click on the role for more information):

Volunteer duties can vary depending on the disaster or crisis response, but can include duties such as:

  • Providing holistic support to people and communities impacted by disaster, experiencing trauma or distress
  • Distributing material aid to disaster-affected people
  • Assisting with admin remotely or in a recovery centre
  • Assisting with operations and volunteer coordination
  • Providing outreach services to disaster affected people either face to face or over the phone.
  • Assisting with our disaster assessment call centre

Recovery volunteers can be Salvation Army Officers, Employees, Retired Officers, Volunteers or Corps Members. It is essential that volunteer applications are endorsed by either your line manager, DC / HOD / AO or Corps Officer, who will complete the nomination form.

We also offer support and specialised disaster recovery training to our volunteers. Participation on the team is voluntary, and volunteers can be removed at any time if they choose.

If you would like to apply to join this list please download the forms below and return them via email to: disasters@salvationarmy.org.au 

Process to join the Disaster Recovery volunteer list

Type of worker

Volunteer Agreement

Registration Form

Supplementary Form

Nomination Form

NEW volunteers

 √ √ √ √

Existing volunteers 

     √ √

Employee

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  1. Please see the table above. Depending on what type of worker you are, please complete the relevant forms. Please note a nomination form is always required (this is completed by your referee). Please submit completed forms to: disasters@salvationarmy.org.au
  2. Application is either approved or not approved by the SE&DM team. If not approved a reason will be given.
  3. Please note: you may be required to complete additional training (please see the recommended training list below) before deployment.

Workplace Support Leave for Volunteers 

Please be advised that the new ‘Workplace Support Leave’ is now available for TSA workers who are existing employees of the Salvation Army to assist in supporting the Strategic Emergency and Disaster Management Team (SEDM) during disaster and recovery seasons.

Workplace Support Leave will provide part-time/full-time employees with an additional five (5) days of paid leave to support a Salvation Army program or activity of their choice. This leave will enable employees to get involved with TSA mission and operations outside of their substantive role. 

Prior to expressing interest in an opportunity, employees must first gain written permission from their line manager. Once an opportunity has been formalised, this leave must be recorded in Salvos Workday as per the newly published Workplace Support Program procedure.

Recommended and Mandatory Training Courses for Disaster Recovery Volunteers:

  • Disaster Recovery Volunteer Induction Training (mandatory)
  • SAMIS Training (mandatory)
  • Psychological First Aid (mandatory for team members and team leaders only)
  • Trauma-Informed Care (recommended but not mandatory)
  • Critical Incident Training (recommended but not mandatory)
  • Safeguarding@TSA  (mandatory)

 Resources (file attachments):

Volunteer Role Information

Involves coordinating and leading a local recovery team that is supporting a disaster-affected community. This will include liaising with The Salvation Army Strategic Disaster & Emergency Management Team as well as other government and non-government agencies assisting in the community. This position is suited to someone who has experience managing people and teams, and is confident in leading and coordinating daily team activities, new member inductions and debriefs within a disaster response.

Key responsibilities include:

  • Attending meetings as a representative of TSA – either internal with other TSA stakeholders and external with Government / other NGOs
  • Liaise and communicate regularly with SE&DM Recovery Coordinator, Projects/ Logistics Support, and other agencies Team Leaders
  • Build relationships with all key stakeholders to facilitate collaboration and cooperation with other recovery support agencies
  • Provide practical care and support for team members eg. ensuring that they are communicated with, and have suitable rest, breaks, accommodation, food.
  • Delegating tasks to other team members eg. On the ground logisitcs, reporting, training, and inductions of new team members
  • Empowers team to work together as a group, utilise individual strengths/ skills, and welcome their input and feedback
  • Accountability for TSA financial resources and equipment – ensuring adequate records are maintained according to SE&DM standards
  • Provide a safe space for a team brief at the beginning of each day, and a team debrief at the end of each day
  • Manage issues or conflict within the team or with other agency members on the ground
  • Ensure that the team is adhering to TSA policy & procedure
  • Provide daily reports to SE&DM
  • Providing a good hand-over to the next team leader

Provides support to community members in disaster-affected areas from a trauma-informed care approach. This will involve assessing the needs of individuals and offering assistance in accordance with Strategic Disaster Management Team guidelines, and the values and mission of The Salvation Army. This position is suited to someone who has good listening and communication skills, and is committed to providing care, sensitivity and empathy when corresponding with people.

Key responsibilities include:

  • Work within SE&DM values and guidelines to provide disaster recovery support services to disaster-affected people in a Recovery hub or centre
  • Maintain data collection, documentation and administration requirements to SE&DM standards
  • Provide any feedback in regards to service delivery, trends, needs, case studies to Recovery Team Leader/ SE&DM team
  • Ad-hoc duties as required – attending meetings as a representative of TSA, providing reports, training and inducting new team members

Key responsibilities include:

  • Ensure data is correctly and accurately recorded into SAMIS
  • Filing and maintaining the confidentiality of paperwork according to TSA Privacy Policy
  • Provide any feedback in regards to service delivery to Recovery Team Leader/ SE&DM team
  • Ad-hoc duties as required – providing reports, training and inducting new team members, assist with rosters and inventory

 

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