ASPR’s Division of Community Mitigation & Recovery
ASPR's Division of Community Mitigation & Recovery helps communities like yours build back stronger than ever
Disasters and other public health emergencies impact more than homes, roads, and buildings. These emergencies can adversely impact a community’s health infrastructure and people’s ability to access medical care. Disruptions to childcare and interrupted schooling can have long-term consequences. The behavioral health and social well-being of community members may be impacted following disasters.
These issues can affect individuals, families, and communities for months, even years, after the disaster. ASPR's Division of Community Mitigation & Recovery is here to help get you through the marathon.
The division is organized into three branches:
Recovery Missions Branch contains the programmatic and operational activities to conduct field and HQ operations for activations of the Health and Social Services Recovery Support Functions or recovery mission taskings from the ASPR or the HHS Secretary.
Population Resilience Branch houses programs, projects, and activities directly related to supporting community members at heightened, disproportionate, or inequitable risk in disasters and public health emergencies. The
At-Risk Individuals Program and the
HHS emPOWER Program are in this branch.
Systems Capacity Branch will be comprised of programs, projects, and activities that build the capacity of both STTL jurisdictions and healthcare and human services provider networks to sustainably, equitably, and effectively respond to and recover from emergency events. The
Behavioral Health Program and the
ASPR TRACIE Program are in this branch.
To learn more about ways that ASPR’s Division of Community Mitigation and Recovery is making a difference, check out reports from past responses:
Assistance from federal partners can accelerate a community’s recovery
Communities know their needs, but they may not have the resources to meet them.
Professionals from ASPR’s Division of Community Mitigation & Recovery, in partnership with 17 federal agencies across the Health and Social Services Recovery Support Function (HSS RSF), use their expertise, legislative authorities, and resources to help support the recovery priorities of communities struck by disasters. The goals are to reduce suffering and loss of life, improve preparedness for future disasters, and increase individual and community resilience.
Through the HSS RSF, the ASPR Division of Community Mitigation & Recovery bridges the gap between resource need and resource provider. The resources might be data to improve decision-making or knowledge about planning, strategizing and allocating scarce resources, or connections to available services. Never forgetting that we are guests of the communities we serve, the HSS RSF disaster recovery team provides structured support for impacted states, tribes, territories, and local governments to address the complexities and interconnectedness of disaster recovery issues.
Core Mission Areas
The Health and Social Services Recovery Support Function has identified nine core mission areas vital to recovery for communities and citizens:
Public Health
Health Care
Services Impacts
Environmental
Health Impact
Behavioral
Health Impacts
Food Safety and
Regulated Medical Products
Social Services
Impact
Referral to Social Services / Disaster Case Management
Long-term Recovery Impacts to First Responders
Children in
Disasters
Before and After a Disaster
To build a more resilient nation, the ASPR Division of Community Mitigation & Recovery works to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of recovery operations across the entire country.
Before a Disaster
ASPR’s Division of Community Mitigation & Recovery experts collaborate with federal, state, territorial, tribal, and local partners to support communities in recovery planning, population resilience, and capacity building initiatives, training activities, and preparedness exercises. ASPR also provides technical assistance, upon request, to help build capacity to address common but complex issues during disaster recovery. This includes providing critical information and resources on preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation efforts via
ASPR TRACIE and the
HHS emPOWER Program.
After a Disaster
ASPR’s Division of Community Mitigation & Recovery, within its role leading the HSS RSF, provides technical assistance that guides local and state agencies in the identification of specific barriers to recovery, including the addressing of
Behavioral Health needs of the impacted population.
The focus on problem-solving helps restore and build health and social service network capacities impacted by disasters. When issues and barriers are determined, our recovery team works with partners to identify funding opportunities, offer technical expertise to fill critical gaps in recovery capabilities, and provide data to support community decision-making and future planning. Special focus is paid to
At-Risk Individuals to ensure equity in recovery.
