The National Disaster Recovery Framework introduces six new Recovery Support Functions 
that are led by designated federal coordinating agencies at the national level.  Recovery 
Support Functions involve partners in the local, State and Tribal governments and private 
and nonprofit sectors not typically involved in emergency support functions but critically 
needed in disaster recovery.   These new partners may include public and private 
organizations that have experience with permanent housing financing, economic 
development, advocacy for underserved populations and long-term community planning.  

The processes used for facilitating recovery are more flexible, context based and 
collaborative in approach than the task-oriented approach used during the response phase of 
an incident. Recovery processes should be scalable and based on demonstrated recovery 
needs.

Each Recovery Support Function has a designated coordinating agency along with primary 
agencies and supporting organizations with programs relevant to the functional area. The 
Recovery Support Function Coordinating Agency, with the assistance of the Federal 
Emergency Management Agency, provides leadership, coordination and oversight for that 
particular.  When coordinating agencies are activated to lead a Recovery Support Function, 
primary agencies and supporting organizations are expected to be responsive to the function 
related communication and coordination needs.

HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES 
Coordinating Agency:   Department of Health and Human Sevices 
Primary Agencies: Corporation for National  and Community Service, Department of 
Homeland Security (Federal Emergency Management Agency/National Preparedness and 
Protection Directive and Civil Rights and Civil Liberties), Deparment of Interior, Department 
of Justice, Department of Labor, Education Department and Veterans Affairs

Supporting Organizations:  Department of Transportation, Small Business Administration, 
Department of Treasury, Department of Agriculture, Veterans Affairs, American Red Cross, 
National Organizations Active in Disasters

Mission 
The Health and Social Services Recovery Support Function mission is for the Federal 
Government to assist locally-led recovery efforts in the restoration of the public health, health 
care and social services networks to promote the resilience, health and well-being of affected 
individuals and communities. 



Function 
The core recovery capability for health and social services is the ability to restore and 
improve health and social services networks to promote the resilience, health, independence 
and well being of the whole community. The Health and Social Services RSF outlines the 
Federal framework to support locally-led recovery efforts to address public health, health 
care facilities and coalitions, and essential social services needs. For the purposes of this RSF, 
the use of the term health will refer to and include public health, behavioral health and 
medical services.  This Annex establishes (1) a Federal focal point for coordinating Federal 
recovery efforts specifically for health and social services needs; and, (2) a Federal 
operational framework outlining how Federal agencies plan to support local health and social 
services recovery efforts. This framework is flexible and can adjust during a disaster to 
complement local efforts, as needed.

PRE-DISASTER: THE HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES RECOVERY SUPPORT 
FUNCTION
*	Incorporates planning for the transition from response to recovery into 
preparedness and operational plans, in close collaboration with ESFs #3, #6, 
#8 and #11. 
*	Incorporates planning for the transition from post-incident recovery 
operations back to a steady-state into preparedness and operational plans. 
*	Develops strategies to address recovery issues for health, behavioral health 
and social services – particularly the needs of response and recovery workers, 
children, seniors, people living with disabilities, people with functional needs, 
people from diverse cultural origins, people with limited English proficiency 
and underserved populations. 
*	Promotes the principles of sustainability, resilience and mitigation into 
preparedness and operational plans. 


POST-DISASTER: THE HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES RECOVERY SUPPORT 
FUNCTION
*	Maintains situational awareness to identify and mitigate potential recovery 
obstacles during the response phase. 
*	Leverages response, emergency protection measures and hazard mitigation 
resources during the response phase to expedite recovery. 
*	Provides technical assistance in the form of impact analyses and supports 
recovery planning of public health, health care and human services 
infrastructure. 
*	Conducts Federal Health and Social Services Recovery Support Function 
assessments with primary agencies. 
*	Identifies and coordinates Federal Health and Social Services specific 
missions with primary agencies 
*	When activated by the Federal Disaster Recovery Coordinator, the primary 
and supporting departments and agencies deploy in support of the Health 
and Social Services Recovery Support Function mission, as appropriate. 
*	Establishes communication and information-sharing forum(s) for Health 
and Social Services RSF stakeholders with the State and/or community. 
*	Coordinates and leverages applicable Federal resources for health and 
social services. 
*	Develops and implements a plan to transition from Federal Health and 
Social Services recovery operations back to a steady-state. 
*	Identifies and coordinates with other local, State, Tribal and Federal 
partners to assess food, animal, water and air conditions to ensure safety. 
*	Evaluates the effectiveness of Federal Health and Social Services recovery 
efforts. 
*	Provides technical assistance in the form of impact analyses and recovery 
planning support of public health, health care, and human services 
infrastructure. 
*	Identifies and coordinates with other local, State, Tribal and Federal 
partners the assessment of food, animal, water and air conditions to ensure 
their safety. 

























OUTCOMES FOR THE HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES RECOVERY SUPPORT 
FUNCTION
*	Restore the capacity and resilience of essential health and social services to 
meet ongoing and emerging post-disaster community needs. 
*	Encourage behavioral health systems to meet the behavioral health needs of 
affected individuals, response and recovery workers, and the community. 
*	Promote self-sufficiency and continuity of the health and well-being of 
affected individuals; particularly the needs of children, seniors, people living 
with disabilities whose members may have additional functional needs, 
people from diverse origins, people with limited English proficiency, and 
underserved populations. 
*	Assist in the continuity of essential health and social services, including 
schools. 
*	Reconnect displaced populations with essential health and social services. 
*	Protect the health of the population and response and recovery workers 
from the longer-term effects of a post-disaster environment. 
*	Promote clear communications and public health messaging to provide 
accurate, appropriate and accessible information; ensure information is 
developed and disseminated in multiple mediums, multi-lingual formats, 
alternative formats, is age-appropriate and user-friendly and is accessible to 
underserved populations. 





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           September 2011


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