Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Disaster Case Manager

🎯 Role Definition

The Disaster Case Manager coordinates direct services and recovery plans for individuals and households impacted by natural disasters. This role performs client intake and assessments, develops personalized recovery plans, connects clients to emergency and long-term resources, documents case activity in compliance with funder and regulatory requirements, and advocates for client needs across housing, financial assistance, healthcare, mental health, and legal systems. The Disaster Case Manager operates with trauma-informed, culturally responsive practices and collaborates with local, state, federal agencies (including FEMA and SBA), VOAD partners, landlords, and community-based organizations to restore stability and resilience for disaster-affected populations.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Volunteer or surge Disaster Case Management (DCM) worker (VOAD/Red Cross/Local NGO)
Caseworker or Housing Specialist in social services
Community Outreach or Benefits Enrollment Specialist

Advancement To:

Senior Disaster Case Manager / Lead Case Manager
Disaster Recovery Program Coordinator or Manager
Director of Disaster Services or Programs
Emergency Management Specialist or Policy Advisor

Lateral Moves:

Housing Navigation Specialist
Client Advocacy Coordinator
Community Health Worker / Behavioral Health Case Manager

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Conduct comprehensive, person-centered intake interviews and triage for individuals and families impacted by disasters, documenting presenting needs, safety concerns, and immediate priorities to inform recovery planning.
Perform thorough damage and needs assessments (including housing inspections and home visits when safe), verify losses, and determine eligibility for FEMA, SBA loans, state and local assistance, and private charitable funds.
Develop individualized, goal-oriented disaster recovery plans in collaboration with clients that outline short-term stabilization (shelter, food, medical) and long-term recovery steps (housing repair, permanent relocation, benefit enrollment).
Manage an active caseload of clients through the full lifecycle of recovery, monitoring progress, updating plans, and coordinating services across multiple providers to reduce duplication and close service gaps.
Provide crisis intervention and safety planning for clients experiencing acute stress, domestic violence risk, or threats to immediate well-being; make timely referrals to emergency services as needed.
Coordinate and broker access to community resources including emergency shelter, transitional housing, rental assistance, housing search, home repairs, mental health counseling, substance use resources, legal aid, and employment services.
Assist clients with benefits enrollment and application support (FEMA IA, SNAP, Medicaid, public housing, unemployment insurance, SBA disaster loans) and follow up with agencies to resolve application issues, appeals, or missing documentation.
Prepare, maintain, and submit accurate, timely case documentation and case notes in HMIS, State/FEMA systems, or agency database to meet funder and regulatory compliance standards and audit readiness.
Advocate on behalf of clients with landlords, contractors, insurance companies, utility providers, and government agencies to expedite repairs, replace documentation, stop service termination, or secure supplemental assistance.
Conduct outreach and engagement in affected neighborhoods, shelters, and community centers to identify unserved or underserved survivors, reduce barriers to access, and ensure equitable service delivery.
Facilitate multi-disciplinary case conferences and coordinate with VOAD partners, public health, behavioral health providers, housing authorities, and legal clinics to implement integrated recovery solutions.
Track and report client outcomes, service delivery metrics, and resource gaps to program management, funders, and incident command structures to inform program adjustments and resource allocation.
Provide culturally competent, trauma-informed support that recognizes language needs, immigration status sensitivities, and barriers for older adults, veterans, people with disabilities, and marginalized communities.
Train and supervise volunteers, temporary surge staff, and interns on intake, documentation protocols, confidentiality, and culturally appropriate client engagement to ensure consistent quality of services.
Maintain client confidentiality and informed consent practices while collecting sensitive information and ensure data security protocols are followed during field work, electronic transmission, and storage.
Monitor repair and rebuilding scopes of work and coordinate with caseworkers and contractors to ensure repairs meet agreed timelines and quality standards; escalate issues that jeopardize client stabilization.
Assist clients with financial case management tasks such as budgeting for temporary housing, tracking disaster-related expenses, managing small grants or vouchers, and linking to financial counseling resources.
Provide aftercare and long-term follow-up, conducting periodic reassessments at 30/60/90+ day intervals to evaluate recovery trajectory and re-open cases as needed for subsequent resource coordination.
Participate in disaster response planning, preparedness drills, and interagency coordination meetings to strengthen community resilience and improve future response protocols.
Maintain flexible schedule including potential evenings, weekends, and on-call rotations during surge response operations, and be prepared for deployment to disaster-affected areas.
Ensure equitable distribution of limited disaster relief funds by applying established prioritization criteria, documenting decision-making, and communicating transparently with clients about eligibility and timelines.
Compile and prepare documentation supporting reimbursement or grant drawdown requests, including client files, invoices, contractor agreements, and outcome data for program administrators and funders.
Identify systemic barriers encountered by clients (e.g., housing market constraints, documentation requirements, language access) and recommend programmatic or policy changes to leadership to improve service delivery.
Provide client education on disaster recovery processes, insurance appeals, documentation preservation, and self-advocacy to empower survivors throughout the recovery continuum.

Secondary Functions

Support program evaluation by collecting qualitative feedback, participating in client satisfaction surveys, and contributing case studies to demonstrate impact for funders and partners.
Assist in developing outreach materials, resource guides, and culturally appropriate educational content (print and digital) to increase community awareness of available disaster recovery services.
Participate in agency emergency operations and logistics support as needed, including intake site setup, supply distribution, and coordination of temporary housing placements.
Provide translation/interpretation coordination or liaise with language access services to ensure non-English speakers can fully participate in recovery planning.
Maintain and update an internal directory of community-based organizations, contractors, and public assistance programs to streamline referrals and reduce time-to-service.
Support grant reporting by compiling client outcome data, service delivery statistics, and narrative summaries for programmatic reports and compliance audits.
Participate in continuing education and professional development opportunities to maintain best practices in trauma-informed care, case management ethics, and disaster recovery policies.
Coordinate with donations management teams to match donated goods and services with specific client needs when appropriate and within program guidelines.
Assist leadership with surge staffing plans, volunteer mobilization strategies, and community partner coordination during peak operations.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Client intake and assessment: Proficient in conducting structured psychosocial and housing needs assessments and developing individualized service plans.
FEMA Individual Assistance & SBA process knowledge: Familiarity with FEMA IA eligibility, appeals processes, and SBA disaster loan applications, including documentation requirements.
Case management systems: Experience using HMIS, Clarity, Efforts to Outcomes (ETO), Red Cross ARC Client Casework, or proprietary CRM/databases for documentation and reporting.
Benefits enrollment and documentation support: Skilled at assisting clients with SNAP, Medicaid, TANF, SSI/SSDI, unemployment insurance, public housing applications, and landlord negotiation documentation.
Data collection & reporting: Ability to maintain case files, produce client outcome reports, and compile funder deliverables with attention to audit-ready documentation.
Basic housing navigation: Knowledge of housing search strategies, lease negotiation basics, rental assistance programs, and working with housing authorities.
Crisis intervention & safety planning: Trained in immediate risk assessment, safety planning, and referral to crisis services including domestic violence shelters and emergency hotlines.
Microsoft Office & communication tools: Proficient with Word, Excel, Outlook, and virtual communication platforms (Zoom, Teams); able to produce clear client correspondence and reports.
Financial assistance administration: Experience managing client grants, vouchers, and small-scale procurement for emergency needs while tracking expenditures against budgets.
Regulatory/compliance understanding: Knowledge of confidentiality laws (HIPAA, 42 CFR where applicable), consent practices, and funder-specific compliance requirements.

Soft Skills

Trauma-informed and culturally responsive care orientation with demonstrated empathy, patience, and non-judgmental engagement.
Strong verbal and written communication skills for client advocacy, interagency collaboration, and clear documentation.
Problem-solving and critical thinking to navigate complex eligibility rules, incomplete documentation, and rapidly changing situations.
Time management and caseload prioritization to balance immediate crisis needs with ongoing recovery tasks and documentation deadlines.
Collaboration and teamwork mindset to coordinate across multidisciplinary partners and community stakeholders.
Resilience and adaptability to work in high-stress, fast-paced disaster environments and pivot responsibilities during surges.
Confidentiality and ethical judgment to protect sensitive client information and maintain professional boundaries.
Negotiation and advocacy skills to represent client needs effectively to landlords, insurers, contractors, and public agencies.
Attention to detail for accurate intake, assessment, and audit-ready reporting.
Cultural humility and language sensitivity; bilingual skills (e.g., Spanish) preferred to reduce access barriers.

(Combined list includes 20+ specific competency items commonly requested in contemporary DCM job postings.)

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

High school diploma or GED with relevant case management or disaster response experience; or
Associate degree in Human Services, Social Work, or related field with practical experience.

Preferred Education:

Bachelor’s degree in Social Work (BSW), Human Services, Psychology, Public Health, Emergency Management, or related field.
Master’s degree (MSW, MPH) or advanced certification in case management, disaster recovery, or emergency management is a plus.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Social Work
Human Services
Emergency Management
Public Health
Counseling / Psychology
Community Development

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 2–5 years of direct case management, social services, or disaster response experience.

Preferred:

3+ years providing client-centered case management services, ideally with disaster recovery or emergency response organizations (VOAD, FEMA-funded programs, Red Cross, local nonprofits).
Demonstrated experience managing caseloads, conducting home visits, and navigating federal/state assistance programs.
Experience with HMIS or other case management information systems and producing funder-required reports.
Prior training or certification in crisis intervention, trauma-informed care, or disaster case management (DCM) models preferred.