Harris County Texas Homeland Security and Emergency Management

Spiritual Health

Volunteers in health, mental health, and disaster spiritual care provide support to individuals and families affected by disaster. Types of disaster spiritual care - spiritual care in disaster includes many kinds of caring gestures. Spiritual care providers are from diverse backgrounds. Adherence to common standards and principles in spiritual care ensures that this service is delivered and received appropriately.
The unique role of the spiritual care provider is to assist people in drawing upon their own spiritual resources – values and faith – in the midst of their pain, regardless of their faith or belief tradition.

Local community resources

As an integral part of the pre-disaster community, local spiritual care providers and communities of faith are primary resources for post-disaster spiritual care. Because local communities of faith are uniquely equipped to provide healing care, any spiritual care services entering from outside of the community support but do not substitute for local efforts. The principles of the National VOAD - cooperation, coordination, communication and collaboration - are essential to the delivery of disaster spiritual care.

Disaster spiritual care in response and recovery

Spiritual care has an important role in all phases of a disaster, including short-term response through long-term recovery. Assessing and providing for the spiritual needs of individuals, families, and communities can kindle important capacities of hope and resilience. Specific strategies for spiritual care during the various phases can bolster these strengths.

What do Disaster Spiritual Health Volunteers responders do?

• Basic needs first (food, water, clothes, shelter)
• Listen and comfort (active listening)
• Psychological first aid
• Assess needs by asking, e.g., do you have a faith tradition that supports you during a crisis?
• Is there a local clergy or faith representative we can connect you with?
• Liaison with and support local faith communities, as needed
• Provide direct spiritual support
• Provide/resource religious supplies for those who request them
• Participate with Red Cross integrated care and integrated care and condolence teams

Disaster emotional and spiritual care for the care giver.

Providing spiritual care in disaster can be an overwhelming experience. The burdens of caring for others in this context can lead to compassion fatigue. Understanding important strategies for self-care is essential for spiritual care providers. Disaster response agencies have a responsibility to model healthy work and life habits to care for their own staff in time of disaster.

Disaster spiritual care in diversity.

Respect is foundational to disaster spiritual care. Spiritual care providers demonstrate respect for diverse cultural and religious values by recognizing the right of each faith group and individual to hold to their existing values and traditions. Spiritual care providers:

• Refrain from manipulation, disrespect or exploitation of those impacted by disaster and trauma.
• Respect the freedom from unwanted gifts of religious literature or symbols, evangelistic and sermonizing speech, and/or forced acceptance of specific moral values and traditions.
• Respect diversity and differences, including but not limited to culture, gender, age, sexual orientation, spiritual/religious practices and disability.