Classes Available through MERCI

Care Team

Emotional and Spiritual care for those suffering the effects of a disaster.

Next Training: TBA
Training By: TBA
MERCI, Goldsboro, NC
Cost: $60 (includes meals, lodging, training, and badge)

In any disaster, there is damage. Sometimes the damage is not visible. Damage to our spirits and to our emotions is very real. The CARE Team (Caregivers Actively Responding in Emergencies) is composed of mainly Stephen Ministers, CISM, NOVA, and others trained in crisis intervention. CARE Teams respond to congregations and small communities who have been affected by a disaster (tornado, hurricane, etc.). By helping people understand the effects and emotions that accompany emergency situations, allowing people to talk about their experiences, and guide people to an understanding of “what’s going on,” we hopefully can lessen the negative impact and long term suffering.

From the UMCOR Spiritual and Emotional Care Brochure:

“When the ability of communities to respond to a disaster is over whelmed and outside assistance is needed, communities and congregations deserve to have access to ethical, best practices in emotional and spiritual care that are sensitive to the unique needs of the community.”

“UMCOR trained disaster response Spiritual and Emotional Care Teams (Care Teams) are faith-based, on-going teams with standardized training that provide spiritual and emotional care following disasters. Working closely with their conference Disaster Response Teams, Care Teams help disaster survivors connect with their personal and community spiritual, emotional, and basic life resources.”

Casework

Caseworkers stay with client until recovery is complete or another agency takes over.

Welcome to case management, the key that opens the door to recovery for disaster survivors. Although the training will guide you through the concept involved in casework, no course replaces actually working out in the field. That takes courage and creativity. Yes, there’s so much to absorb in training that you may resist jumping in for fear of making a mistake. Take the leap! Remember, you aren’t in charge; God is. Let God lead. Trust yourself and trust God! Expect chaos and rejoice if there is calm. Look forward to meeting new friends and experiencing a unique Christian fellowship. And, thank God for the diversity of the people you will meet and for the joy and blessing they will bring to your life.

The importance of Christian casework in disaster recovery

The heart of our care-giving ministry is casework, with its focus upon a individual’s or family’s recovery. Our prime concern is to restore - or help preserve - the dignity of the survivors as they plan for recovery. The responsibilities for decision making must be in the survivors’ hands because that is the source of successful healing. Rightly done, Christian casework in disaster recovery empowers people to move on. Wrongly done, it fosters dependency and restricts empowerment.

Early Response Training

Making an area safe, sanitary, and secure by doing temporary repairs.

In cooperation with UMVIM (United Methodist Volunteers in Mission), this program is designed to teach people what to do and what not to do as the first people allowed in a disaster area. Each team member has a specific job (leader, logistics person, base camp manager, etc.) and teams stay no more than 3 days at a time. All teams are self sufficient so that they are not an added burden to a suffering community. The class offers the opportunity to discuss and practice the early response procedures. Classes scheduled at MERCI run from 7:00 pm on Friday evening until 3:00 pm on Saturday afternoon and require a minimum of 6 people. Classes are offered upon request of a local church or District where there are 20 or more interested people.

ERT Training is $30 per person (includes training, badge and tee shirt).

UMVIM Basic and Advanced Leader Training

If you have attended the UMVIM Basic Leaders Training and are in need of renewal (four years or more since you took Basic Training), NC UMVIM is now offering Advanced Leaders Training. The training includes a review and sharing of ideas, followed by a specific area of concentration for the remainder of the time.

The training begins at 7:00 p.m. on Friday night and concludes by noon on Saturday. There is no cost to this training, but it is required for the continuation of Conference Seed Money. You are welcome to attend one or all of these sessions. Also, please note that this training is offered at the same time as Basic Training, so if there is someone who is interested in the Basic Training you could carpool. For more information please go to www.nccumvim.org.

Damage Assessment

What to look for, where to look, and how to estimate.

MERCI provides assessment classes to assist churches that are involved in the Neighbor-to-Neighbor program. The classes cover material on how to assess home damages and proceed with repairs along with identifying problems and dangers encountered while working with assessments and repairs. Information is given on how to obtain permits and deal with inspection departments, and much more.

Local Church Preparation

Who to call when help is needed. Who does what, where things go, and who can help and how. When caught in the middle of a disaster the last thing you need is a wordy, confusing and vague booklet designed to “help.” Training for local church preparation is a guide to assisting you in preparing for the next major crisis by tailoring a personalized disaster response and contingency plan for your church.

Annual Disaster Academy (August/September)

The annual academy is geared mostly for the local church disaster response coordinators and others who are interested in how the disaster response “system” works in and for the local church. It will be an informative and educational hands-on training. The Academy begins with supper on Thursday evening and runs through lunch Saturday afternoon. The cost of the training includes all meals, materials, and overnight accommodations.

SEJ Disaster Academy

Hosted by the Tennessee Conference in 2008

This academy is designed with the following goals:

To provide a cooperative training opportunity for Annual Conference Disaster Response Coordinators, Conference staff relating to disaster response, Conference Communications Staff, Directors of Connectional Ministries, and up to five other persons invited by the Conference Coordinator or Staff Liaison from each SEJ Annual Conference. It is recommended that your conference UMVIM coordinator be included among the five additional persons you invite;
To provide an opportunity for networking and sharing of best practices among those persons who are working in the ministry of disaster response across the jurisdiction;
To provide an opportunity to expand the ability of the SEJ Annual Conferences to respond appropriately and cooperatively to disasters located within the jurisdictional bounds and beyond as requested.

Disaster Academy Courses

Track 1: UMCOR Basic Course

This course covers basic information on how UMCOR partners with Annual Conferences (before, during, and after disasters), funding, understanding disasters/disaster response, conference/local church organizations, and more.

Track 2: Volunteer Management and Early Response Teams (train to train others)

This course will give information on the ins and outs of managing volunteers (invited and otherwise) when they come to serve in your conference or community. You’ll also learn how to lead Early Response Team training in your conference.

Track 3: What is Early On Site Management?

Following a disaster the local community coordinates the Early Response Work Teams - During this stage there has been a need for someone with some training and/or experience to assist. Track 3 would have those people involved in putting together a manual to assist in future disasters. Many of the volunteers who assisted went into the disaster areas with little or no experience in coordinating volunteers. This class would seek to assist those who would be coordinating the volunteers during the Relief phase of the disaster.