FAITH COMMUNITIES BUILDING PARTNERSHIPS FOR READINESS, RESPONSE, AND RECOVERY
DISASTER CHAPLAINCY
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DISASTER CHAPLAINCY PROFILE
Spiritual and emotional impacts of disaster call for skilled response from
trusted leaders and care providers. NYDIS trains and credentials disaster
chaplains and spiritual care workers to volunteer during crises, at disaster
sites, mass care facilities, and points of dispensing (POD).
NYC religious leaders who are trained to recognize and respond appropriately to some of the physiological, psychological and
social effects of trauma on individuals and communities, along with the spiritual impact of trauma, can help promote healing and
resilience in the aftermath of a disaster.
DISASTER CHAPLAIN AND SPIRITUAL CARE WORKER TRAINING
NYDIS’ comprehensive interfaith curriculum recognizes that all religions and faith traditions contain elements that promote healing
of the human spirit, and that effective spiritual care at a disaster site requires non-faith-specific interventions.
NYDIS prepares providers of all faith traditions to offer spiritual and emotional support to persons of any faith or no faith impacted
by disaster - victims, rescue workers, families and friends of victims and rescue workers, volunteers and staff of relief organizations
or agencies and the community at large.
NEW YORK CITY PROGRAM
The NYC program trains, credentials, and deploys chaplains and spiritual care workers in New York City, alongside the Medical
Reserve Corps, which functions under the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. Trainings are offered throughout NYC.
NATIONAL TRAINING
The training curriculum is available also to a national audience, readily adaptable to local communities. Since credentialing and
deployment of chaplains and spiritual care workers to disaster sites and mass care facilities are usually handled by local entities,
these site-specific issues are dealt with only in a general way, and are not within NYDIS’ purview.
PROFILE OF DEPLOYABLE DISASTER CHAPLAINS AND SPIRITUAL