Dear Eaton Fire Survivors,

 

My name is Michael Ocon, and I serve as Executive Director of the Eaton Fire Collaborative (EFC), our community’s Long-Term Recovery Group and the organization behind the Eaton Fire Collaboratory on Woodbury Road. EFC brings together more than 200 organizations working together to support our community through long-term recovery.

 

I’m reaching out directly to share an important update about one part of our community’s disaster case management system—and to provide clarity about what it means for survivors.

 

On September 1, the California Department of Social Services (CDSS) issued notice that the federally funded Disaster Case Management Program (DCMP) is scheduled to end on September 30, 2026.

 

If you receive disaster case management through another program, the September 30 termination notice does not directly apply to your program.

 

If you are currently working with a Disaster Case Manager, please continue working with your current case manager and agency unless they instruct you otherwise. You do not need to independently find another DCM or contact multiple organizations.

 

The EFC and our partners are working urgently on two fronts at the same time: advocating to extend the federal funding and secure the sustainability of the existing program, while simultaneously preparing for continuity of services should a transition become necessary.

 

The Long-Term Recovery Groups, in partnership with California VOAD and the affected DCMP providers, are establishing coordinated transition plans designed to do everything possible to minimize disruption to survivors and ensure as seamless a transition as possible.

 

We know that after everything survivors have already had to navigate, uncertainty around services can create additional stress. We will do everything we can to ensure the responsibility for navigating this situation does not fall on survivors.

We will continue sharing clear, confirmed information as this situation develops.

 

 

FEMA approved approximately $13 million for the Disaster Case Management Program but, to date, has provided only approximately $3 million. The State has been advancing funds to sustain the program while awaiting the remaining federal funding, but has determined that continuing to front these federal costs is no longer financially sustainable.

 

This program is not scheduled to end because the need for disaster case management has diminished. More than 1,000 households remain in active case management across the DCMP network, while thousands of survivors continue navigating housing, insurance, rebuilding, financial recovery, and other long-term recovery needs.

 

Our immediate priority is to preserve the existing program. EFC, our fellow Long-Term Recovery Groups, California VOAD, DCMP providers, and other partners are advocating for the federal funding necessary to sustain this case management capacity.

At the same time, we cannot wait until September 30 to prepare. Transition planning is happening now so that, if it becomes necessary, cases can move through a coordinated process that protects continuity for survivors and accounts for the capacity of organizations that may be asked to receive additional households.

 

EFC is also working with philanthropic, government, and community partners to identify resources to preserve and expand local disaster case management capacity.

 

 

We invite survivors and community members to join us for a press conference to stand with EFC, our fellow Long-Term Recovery Groups, and community partners as we call on FEMA to release the funding it has already committed:

 

 

It is not lost on us that the need remains great and that recovery is far from finished. We will continue doing everything we can, alongside our partners, to ensure survivors have access to the support they need.

 

In solidarity,

Michael Ocon
Executive Director
Eaton Fire Collaborative

Questions?
Email communications@efclc.org