Nebraska Agencies Gear Up to Meet Needs
of Katrina Evacuees
(Lincoln, NE)Efforts are underway to prepare for the possible arrival of federally-directed Hurricane Katrina evacuees. Gov. Dave Heineman has tasked Nebraska agencies with ensuring that state services are accessible.
Omaha has been designated as the entry point for as many as 500 evacuees on Saturday, the first day for Nebraska on a daily rotation of states to receive evacuees. Those evacuees would be housed on a short-term basis at the Civic Auditorium while city officials and private relief agencies seek longer-term housing solutions for storm victims in Nebraska.
The American Red Cross will house evacuees at the Civic Center and provide medical screenings, as well as food, water, and sleeping arrangements.
Nebraska Health and Human Services System (HHSS) staff will be at the Civic Center to help evacuees access benefits including: Medicaid, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, child and foster care, as well as food and housing assistance. The eligibility process is being streamlined to allow for one application to access many different programs.
Federal officials have created a new eligibility category, "evacuee," that HHSS could use to expedite the receipt of public assistance benefits for individuals left homeless and jobless after the hurricane. HHSS plans to issue a temporary letter for qualified evacuees confirming eligibility for Nebraska Medicaid services.
Dr. Joann Schaefer, Nebraska's Chief Medical Officer, said, "We want these visitors to have access to the services they need while starting their lives over again. Nebraska has always been a leader in bringing agencies together to help people in need."
Education Commissioner Doug Christensen has sent information to schools to keep them up to date, outlining state statutes on enrollment and responsibilities for homeless children, school lunch procedures, clarification of enrollment for children in special education, and guidance on immunization requirement flexibility.
The Nebraska Department of Labor is coordinating efforts with the City of Omaha, the Salvation Army and the Omaha Chamber of Commerce to help evacuees find jobs.
Labor Commissioner Fernando Lecuona III said, "Our objective is to make sure these people have a positive experience in Nebraska. We are prepared to help connect these individuals with both long-term and short-term employment opportunities."
Evacuees will be given on-site skill assessments upon their arrival to determine what employment and training opportunities might be available to them.
Nebraska Workforce Development would also assist evacuees in the following ways:
* By working with individuals on-site who need to file unemployment insurance claims. Hurricane victims in Nebraska needing to apply for unemployment insurance or disaster unemployment insurance can call 402-471-9813.
* By coordinating job openings statewide, matching hurricane victims to both long- and short-term employment opportunities. Employers able to offer evacuees temporary or permanent employment can call 402-471-1932.
* And by providing on-site professional job search assistance. Evacuees already in Nebraska can find assistance at any of Nebraska's Career Centers across the state.
