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Disaster Case Managers

As of June 30, 2025 : Disaster case managers through the Salvation Army are no longer available due to the ending of their grant cycle. Case management will transfer to the Spokane Region LTRG.

As of July 1, 2025: Disaster case management will begin transitioning to the Spokane Region LTRG under a new grant award. The new Disaster Case Managers will begin outreach by mid-to-late July seeking all those impacted by the Gray and Oregon Rd Fires to reassess needs and prepare cases for potential resources coming through the $44 Million Spokane County CDBG-DR funding. Those funds can only be used to assist those impacted in either the Gray or Oregon Rd fires of 2023. If you had a case manager through Salvation Army your case file can transfer to the new case workers. If you’ve never sought help and were impacted by either fire, you might be eligible for benefits under the new funding criteria.

The exact terms of the award are still undetermined but having your plan in place will best position you to know what benefits may be available when that funding becomes available.  If you have been impacted please send us your contact information with a brief note about your current status. 

Contact Us Here and someone will be in touch soon. 

Other Organizations Providing Resources

Grants from the emergency response fund are supporting local organizations providing assistance to those impacted by wildfires. These organizations include:

 

FEMA Disaster Recovery Assistance

Federal funding is now available for fire recovery assistance for Elk, WA Oregon Rd and Medical Lake, WA Gray Rd wildfire survivors.

Asbestos Testing Reimbursement

Contact a Salvation Army Case Worker to sign up for asbestos testing reimbursement.

Grants are being distributed as needed to nonprofit organizations providing assistance and relief in the Elk and Medical Lake communities. Funding to date is helping with food, clothing, gas cards, propane, tree removal, utility hook-ups, RV winterization and more.  The Spokane Region Long Term Recovery Group is working in partnership with Innovia and other funders to coordinate resources.

Some of the community-based organizations providing immediate assistance include:

  • Salvation Army
  • New Hope Resource Center in Elk
  • Re*Imagine Medical Lake
  • Medical Lake Community Outreach

A Long-Term Recovery Group is a cooperative body that is made up of representatives from faith-based, non-profit, government, business and other organizations working within a community to assist individuals and families recover from disaster. The Spokane Region Long Term Recovery Group includes community members from Elk and Medical Lake representing the region as a whole. Learn more about the SRLTRG in this recent Spokesman-Review article: Here for the long haul.

No one program can meet all the disaster-related recovery needs of the hardest impacted individuals and families. This serves as the “clearinghouse” for all those who desire to help with recovery.

Collaborations among organizations increase capacity and efficiency for recovery as additional helping resources are brought to the table.

    • Ensures resources are distributed fairly
    • Avoids duplication of benefits and services.
    • Communities with Long-Term Recovery Groups respond to and recover from disaster faster and more effectively.

Local, community based LTRGs are the key to increasing capacity and providing a centralized location for resources to funnel in.

  • Disaster Case Management & Unmet Needs
  • Volunteer Coordination
  • Reconstruction/Rebuild Coordination
  • Management of Donors and Fundraising
  • Advocacy for Ongoing Needs
  • Emotional and Spiritual Care
  • Communications and Public Relations
  • Debris Removal and Site Preparation

Disaster Case Managers will work with fire survivors to establish a fire recovery plan and present any disaster-caused unmet needs to the Long Term Recovery Group. Members of the group have a variety of resources (human, in-kind, financial) and collaboratively provide all or parts of the resources needed to assist the survivors. This includes access to the dollars in the Wildfire Response Fund at Innovia. Disaster case managers through the Salvation Army are now available to assist with fire recovery.  Please call the Salvation Army at 509-325-6810 for additional information.

A coordinated approach to resource distribution is necessary to make sure the funds can be stretched as far as possible, doing the most good for the most people. Funding is addressing immediate needs through the nonprofit organizations working with fire-impacted families and individuals in Medical Lake and Elk. Through these organizations, assistance is available now for needs including food, gas cards, propane, utility hookups, RV winterization, and emergency shelter.