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Resource Brokering - A Katrina Enigma
Kathleen Johnson 10/23/06
Kathleen Johnson is a long term volunteer who has been working in Mississippi since just after the storm. Currently Kathleen is working at the City of Waveland City Hall under the umbrella of the Waveland Citizens Fund a 501 ( c ) 3 as the Director of Katrina Relief.
Disaster Relief Organizations, in long term recovery, often speak different languages. This is because their mission statements are gaps in an effective bridge to recovery when the focus is on the differences and not the ultimate goal – recovery for the client impacted by this disaster. These gaps affect the ability of long term recovery entities and case managers to provide services when providers of resources fail to understand the implications of the practice of information and resource brokering.
What is Information Brokering?
Information brokering, the business of buying and selling information as a commodity, has been around for a long time. The common practices seen here on the ground, in the aftermath of Katrina, shows a need for professional accountability and other issues that surround questions that have been raised about the ongoing issue of the lack of resource lists and true accountability for “where is the beef”. Where are the 2x4’s, the sheetrock, the insulation, the wiring, the volunteers, and the available grants. Who is responsible for managing this information and how do you get on those lists?
There is a great need for effective information and resource dissemination for those working in long term recovery in the aftermath of Katrina. Teamwork should be the goal with their sights set firmly on building a network among themselves and their colleagues and on aiding struggling homeowners.
Unfortunately, what I am seeing is “Information Brokering” and “Resource Brokering” in a struggle for “power and control” in an arena where ego has become the driving engine. Information on manpower, money and materials is shared sparingly or on a need to know basis.
Professional Accountability
We must require professional accountability to improve the accessibility of relevant materials and information to all Case Managers, Resource Managers, and those working directly in re-construction. Decision maker’s actions affect the availability of long-term care services and the ways in which they are organized and delivered. The current standard is that you must show up to the numerous and multiple meetings of the various committees where information is verbally given with minimal handouts. Minutes are not provided for these meetings on the resources discussed, training available, and votes taken on policy and practices. At the last General Meeting of the Hancock Long Term Recovery Committee - the attendees were told to call the office of Long Term Recovery every time they missed a meeting so they could be told, verbally, of everything that transpired at the meeting they missed. Some of these meetings can be two hours long. Given the number of volunteers and Case Mangers can number into the hundreds at any given time - this is not a solution at all but problematic. This limiting data sharing technique is typical of a pattern that is evolving out of the Hancock County Long Term Recovery Committee
Conclusion
There needs to be minutes of meetings, held under the umbrella of the Hancock County Long Term Recovery Committee, to share relevant data that is not privy by privacy issues related to personal information. This should include all available training, resources, grants, and updated information on the status of grants the long term committee has pending for operating expenses, funds for clients, and new employees such as the proposed Construction Coordinator. These minutes need to be delivered to all of the Case Mangers and DRO’s known to the Hancock Long Term Recovery Committee that are operation, or have operated, in Hancock County. The information needs to be published on the official website of the Long Term Recovery Committee
DRO’s who have resources meant to be “shared” need to become part of the recovery team and deliver their information in the same manner. The circle of “favorites” needs to be expanded to include “all” and not “some”.
Current information practices are akin to information and resource brokering and it is creating a disjointed delivery of services due to lack of information, misinformation due to word of mouth dissemination of information, and lack of service to those most in need – those affected by Katrina.
Recovery is paramount on teamwork. We have 15,000 plus grants coming down the pike here in the Mississippi Gulf Coast. We need to fine tune our engine sooner than later. Now would be a good time.
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