PASADENA, Calif. (AP) — Nearly three weeks after the Eaton Fire destroyed their Altadena home, Pete and Angela Mitchell need answers on what to do next.
They registered for FEMA assistance, but got a letter of non-approval. After a 90-minute call to the agency's helpline and a long day at a FEMA recovery center, they learned they needed more insurance documents. But their insurance agent's office also burned down. Now they have the documents, but can't figure out how to upload them to FEMA.
Front of mind for them is where they, their four dogs and cat will live for the several years it will take to rebuild, and how they will pay both the existing mortgage for their destroyed home and rent on a temporary place each month.
“It’s a marathon, not a sprint,” said Angela, but they don’t know who can guide them. And they worry about what happens when FEMA and the media move on to the next crisis. “We’re going to be here, struggling.”
Tens of thousands of people impacted by the Los Angeles wildfires have similar worries. To help, nonprofits across the region are readying what they say will be a record number of disaster case managers and advocates to support survivors through their recovery, connecting them with resources and fighting on their behalf.
“What people really need when at the lowest point in their lives is someone on their team that is helping support and guide them through their recovery,” said Claire Balsley, director of disaster assistance programs at the New Orleans-based disaster recovery organization SBP.
Given the scale of destruction, the nonprofits expect a dire need for these services.
“The term ‘unprecedented’ couldn't be more accurate,” said Jenni Campbell, executive director of the Los Angeles Region Community Recovery Organization, or LARCRO. “The number of agencies and organizations that have come forward to participate in disaster case management is also unprecedented.”
Disaster case managers (DCMs) are trained and vetted helpers who support households through a longterm recovery plan, but many nonprofits also offer other types of advocates and caseworkers who can connect survivors to resources and help them navigate applications.
“We want everybody as much as possible to take part in their own recovery, but we want to steer them in the right direction," said Shaun McCarty, program manager for disaster case management at Catholic Charities of Los Angeles. ”They don’t want to start making mistakes like clearing their property or spending money that is going to come in later on.”
The need for support is clear. As of Jan. 27, nearly 112,000 FEMA applications had been submitted, but only about 19,000 of them were approved for Individual Assistance, according to the agency.
FEMA applicants who get a letter saying they are “not approved” often just need to submit more documents or correct typos. Balsley said it's crucial these families appeal decisions. “A denial does not mean it’s the end of the road, it’s the start of a conversation,” she said.
But that process can be grueling.
“They feel like there’s not a path forward, and if they don’t have an advocate, I think a lot of people do give up,” said Melissa Baurer, director of integrated health and outreach at Santiam Hospital and Clinics in Stayton, Oregon.
Her hospital hired case managers to support people impacted by the 2020 Santiam Canyon Fire in northwest Oregon. It took eight appeals to get one client’s Small Business Administration loan approved. A case manager called FEMA 14 times over four months to get a household’s payout.
“We gave that case manager boxing gloves," said Baurer. "She just went to battle on every FEMA appeal and never took no for an answer.”
Without someone to trust, people struggling after disasters might not seek out help at all, deterred by misinformation or past traumas suffered by their communities, experts say.
“Case management isn’t just about navigating paperwork, it’s about human connection,” said Skye Kolealani Razon-Olds, director of resiliency at the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement, or CNHA.
After the 2023 Maui wildfires, CNHA hired “community care navigators” who were Lahaina survivors themselves. “Their lived experiences allowed them to connect with community members on a deeply personal level, building trust and fostering a sense of shared understanding,” said Razon-Olds.
In Los Angeles, the first step is finding all the people impacted — not just homeowners, but renters, small business owners, and people who lost work — and telling them these services are available. Many have never heard of disaster case management, including the Mitchells.
Standing outside a FEMA recovery center, they said the idea interested them, especially after calling FEMA only to be passed from person to person. “You don't have that centralized focus or connection," said Angela Mitchell.
To get case management help, households can call their local 211 helpline, or fill out intake forms online with LARCRO, Catholic Charities of Los Angeles, and other local organizations. Some nonprofits are connecting with survivors at FEMA disaster recovery centers and resource fairs.
Campbell said LARCO and Catholic Charities are collaborating to centralize survivor data to assess needs and triage cases so DCMs can start reaching out.
“We are all working really hard to make sure that we don’t duplicate efforts and that we ensure that we gather every last individual that could need help,” she said.
Making sure no one is missed requires outreach at schools, churches and other community focal points too, said Siugen Constanza, director of community affairs and outreach at the Boys and Girls Club of Malibu. Her team of family therapists and social workers in training are calling families from the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District.
“We do whatever it takes, if we have to meet them at Starbucks, a shelter, on the street, whatever it takes to provide that support,” said Constanza, adding that Spanish-speaking caseworkers are badly needed.
While FEMA provides funding for disaster case management, most groups will rely on philanthropic and local support to hire and train case managers. Balsley of SBP said she's seen those donations pay dividends. “For every dollar that a philanthropic donor puts into our program, we can help survivors access three dollars,” she said.
Robust support lets the programs last as long as they need to. Campbell said DCMs are still helping Malibu households recovering from the 2018 Woolsey fire.
“We don’t go away,” she said. “We stay until the long term recovery process is done.”
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