Oklahoma VOAD Public Outreach During a Pandemic Series

SERIES OVERVIEW

A year ago, the global pandemic became an unavoidable part of our lives. Oklahoma's community outreach professionals adapted to the new norms while taking in stride the needs created by new disasters (snowstorms!) and ongoing disaster recovery (flooding!). Despite the relief that vaccines and other countermeasures will provide, Oklahoma community outreach professionals will benefit from sharing and learning best practices and false starts over the past year of the pandemic. This series of presentations will explore new options for delivering service while building resilience and community among our outreach professionals and agencies. Audience: Oklahoma VOAD member agencies and related organizations; public outreach professionals.

FRIDAY, APRIL 16, 2021 9 am -10 am (special time and date)

Continuing to Serve the Needs of Our Communities During a Disaster – OILS Style

By Brian Candelaria, Staff Attorney at Oklahoma Indian Legal Services (OILS)

Presentation Summary: This presentation is designed to demonstrate methods OILS has developed to continue to serve the tribal communities of Oklahoma during the ongoing COVID-19 disaster.  This presentation will explore the lessons learned regarding planning and problem-solving techniques used by OILS staff and suggestions that the attendee may find useful in their organizational disaster response protocol.

FRIDAY, APRIL 23, 2021 11 am - 12 pm

Virtual Trainings for Faith and Community Leaders

By Mary Gaudreau Hughes, Crisis Care Ministries

Presentation Summary: COVID-19 caused the elimination of in-person trainings during a time when disseminating new information and skills development were particularly needed. In response, Crisis Care Ministries produced and hosted 68 web-based trainings that reached 1231 participants in 2020. This presentation will describe lessons learned in partner networking, content development, outreach, logistics, production, and participant follow-up.

FRIDAY, MAY 7, 2021 11 am - 12 pm

Why Inclusion Matters in Every Disaster

By Kimberly Hill ADA Coordinator for the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management and Homeland Security (ODEMHS)

Presentation Summary: This presentation is designed to demonstrate how people with disabilities and access and functional needs should be included when preparing for every disaster. These populations were not well-planned for and are still being left out during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.  This presentation will explore the lessons learned regarding planning and problem-solving techniques for people with access and functional needs used by various disability specialists before and during the pandemic.

FRIDAY, MAY 21, 2021 11 am - 12 pm

Disaster Survivor Outreach and Services in a Pandemic

By Christa F. Figgins, Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma, Inc

Presentation Summary: In this workshop, Christa Figgins from Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma will discuss the challenges, growing pains, and lessons learned when LASO was abruptly faced with reinventing outreach to disaster survivors and disaster legal services in a pandemic world. This session will cover the initial confusion when the pandemic hit, the process as LASO advocates assessed and dealt with the unprecedented obstacles impeding their work, and ultimately the best practices developed allowing for successful outreach and service delivery. The road to the new normal hasn't been easy, but it is the hope of the presenter that sharing the successes and failures experienced on the journey will help to build resiliency in others.

FRIDAY, JUNE 4, 2021 11 am - 12 pm

Pivoting in a Pandemic: Adapting Training and Technical Assistance for Child Care Programs

By Melinda Belcher, Community Service Council

Presentation Summary: This presentation will focus on methods of preparing child care programs for disasters, the challenges child care programs face in a pandemic and how a local Resource and Referral agency stepped up to help child care programs stay in business.

FRIDAY, JUNE 18, 2021 11 am – 12 pm

Effective Communications in Whole Community Planning- Internet Messaging

By Glenda Ford-Lee, MHR. Oklahoma State Department of Health/ Emergency Preparedness & Response Services

Presentation Summary: Effective communications are a major part of “Whole Community Planning”. This presentation will provide suggestions on how to make your “internet and general messages” accessible for everyone during pandemics, natural disasters, and human-made disasters.

FRIDAY, JULY 9, 2021 11 am – 12 pm

New Ways to Offer the Pillowcase Project and Other Preparedness Training

American Red Cross Presenter to be announced

Presentation Summary: During the pandemic popular preparedness programs like the Pillowcase Project and Pedro as well as adult preparedness training had to be re-designed for the protection of everyone. This session will discuss how these programs offered in Oklahoma and Kansas implemented a hybrid model of remote trainers for requesting host site classes and the lessons learned in this experience.

 FRIDAY, JULY 23, 2021 11 am - 12 pm

Using Volunteers during a Pandemic - A Panel Discussion

Moderated by Anne Smith, Oklahoma AmeriCorps

Presentation Summary: This interactive panel will discuss how volunteer service was impacted by the pandemic, what steps organizations needed to take to adjust to these impacts, and what long-term adjustments, if any, would the organization make given this experience.

Series presented by Oklahoma Voluntary Organizations Active in Disasters and their Community Preparedness Committee. Co-Hosted by the Disaster Resilience Network and Oklahoma AmeriCorps.

If a specific session is cancelled due to a disaster response or other reason, it will be rescheduled to a later date.

PLEASE USE THE THE BUTTON BELOW TO GO TO OUR REGISTRATION PAGE FOR THE SERIES

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