Description

Participants in this course will gain a practical understanding of what a liaison is and what a liaison does—how they collaborate with diverse internal and external stakeholders to ensure effective service delivery in a manner that yields community trust in, appreciation for and goodwill toward the American Red Cross.

Purpose

The purpose of this course is to prepare Red Cross employees and volunteers to establish collaborative relationships that contribute to coordinated disaster response and help to ensure effective service delivery. This course will also prepare participants to begin conducting liaison activities in a chapter and establish a foundation upon which they can build toward a career as a liaison in the Disaster Services Human Resources (DSHR) System.

Learning Objectives

• After completing this course, participants should be able to—
• Represent the American Red Cross, behaving in a manner consistent with the Red Cross mission and values.
• Explain the value of a Disaster Services liaison’s contribution toward a coordinated and effective disaster response.
• Seek, collect, evaluate and communicate critical information and bring to bear the resources needed by our stakeholders, supporting collective efforts to meet disaster-caused needs.
• Establish an “environmental awareness” of the specific disaster response settings in which liaisons work and monitor for changes.
• Initiate, develop and maintain relationships that help to ensure universal access to and community support of disaster response and recovery.
• Manage stakeholder expectations to affect a coordinated response.
• Monitor the effectiveness of interactions with others.
• Assemble, organize and employ the tools and resources needed to meet the performance expectations of a Red Cross Disaster Services liaison.
• Enhance community trust in, appreciation for and goodwill toward the American Red Cross by effectively communicating and facilitating the delivery of Red Cross programs and services.

Audience

Participants are Red Cross employees and volunteers interested in serving as a liaison in a chapter or building toward a career as a liaison in the DSHR System. Those serving in other disaster programs and services who are interested in improving their ability to collaborate with others toward the achievement of effective and enhanced service delivery may also benefit from taking this course.

Prerequisites

Fulfilling Our Mission: Translating Your Compassion into Community Action (DSGEN200A, Rev. 09/07)
Familiarity with Red Cross programs and services and how they support service delivery.

Recommended

• Mass Care Overview (DSMCC200A, Rev. 04/07) or Community Services Overview (ARC 3068-6, Rev. 09/05)
• Client Casework: Providing Emergency Assistance (DSCLS202A, 07/06)
• Working With Total Diversity (A1503)
• Additional basic level disaster training courses
• Experience working with a Red Cross chapter, community and labor organizations, government agencies and/or diverse populations.

Given the purpose, objectives and subsequent design of this course, training and experience beyond what is required for this course is recommended. This training requires a collaborative learning environment where both participants and instructors must draw upon their knowledge of and/or experience in Red Cross disaster service delivery. Without this knowledge or experience participants and the instructor may find some of the discussions and activities challenging and lacking in necessary relevance and learning impact.

Length

This is a two-day course comprised of 12 hours of instruction.  Attendance the entire time is required.