Spontaneous Volunteer Management Planning for COAD Western Mass Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) Point of Contact: Kathleen Conley Norbut, M.Ed., LMHC MRC coordinator

Spontaneous Volunteer Management Planning for COAD “The Spontaneous Volunteer Management Plan (SVMP) provides guidance for safe, efficient and scalable volunteer management.” The SVMP was developed by members of the Western Mass MRC Advisory Group with funding through the Emergency Management Performance Grants (EMPG) program

Spontaneous Volunteer Management Planning for COAD The SVMP includes guidance and integration with: Comprehensive Emergency Management Plans (CEMP) Communication with community members and voluntary organizations Volunteer Reception Center (VRC), screening, training, matching and deployment Volunteer retention

Spontaneous Volunteer Management Planning for COAD Assumptions When disaster – natural or man-made – strikes a community, specific emergency management and nonprofit organizations automatically respond according to a pre-established plan. Each of these organizations has a specific role to play in ensuring an effective response to, and recovery from, the disaster’s devastation.

Spontaneous Volunteer Management Planning for COAD Assumptions Spontaneous, unaffiliated volunteers – our neighbors and ordinary citizens – often arrive on- site at a disaster ready to help Yet because they are not associated with any part of the existing emergency management response system, their offers of help are often under-utilized and even problematic to professional responders

Spontaneous Volunteer Management Planning for COAD The paradox and the challenges are clear There are gaps between People’s willingness to Volunteer versus the System’s capacity to utilize them effectively

Spontaneous Volunteer Management Planning for COAD Definitions – Spontaneous Volunteer » Affiliated Volunteer » Unaffiliated Volunteer (SUV) – VMS Volunteer Management System – VRC Volunteer Reception Center

Spontaneous Volunteer Management Planning for COAD Toolbox The SVMP outlines activation levels to determine when a Volunteer Reception Center may be utilized The SVMP outlines communication protocols with the public and prospective volunteers The SVMP outlines ICS and provides guidance for roles/responsibilities

Spontaneous Volunteer Management Planning for COAD Objectives Improve stakeholder knowledge and understanding of the SVMP Orient participants to the roles, responsibilities, resources and management of Spontaneous Volunteers in the aftermath of a large-scale emergency or disaster event.

Spontaneous Volunteer Management Planning for COAD See SVMP Worksheet

Spontaneous Volunteer Management Planning for COAD Questions? Feedback? Suggestions?

Spontaneous Volunteer Management Planning for COAD Contact: Kathleen Conley Norbut, M.Ed., LMHC