DRC Programs

CLIENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (CAP)

The purpose of CAP is to protect the rights of persons receiving or seeking services funded under the federal Rehabilitation Act. According to this law, CAP services are available for all clients or applicants of the following services:

• Arkansas Rehabilitation Services (ARS),
• Division of Services for the Blind (DSB),
• Workforce Center (WFC),
• Independent Living Services (ILS),
• Supported Employment (SE), and
• Independent Living Centers (ILCs)

We assist most individuals through providing helpful information, education, or referral to appropriate resources. Individual advocacy is available as needed, in accordance with Federal regulations, and legal representation can facilitate systemic change for persons with disabilities.

CAP services are funded by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) and are provided free of charge.

Click here to review OSERS information about this program.

CAP Archives

The Youth Transition Funders Groups together with Fenton Communication have produced a guide offering concrete tools for communicating about youth transitions and other youth development issues. The document is available on the YTFG website in PDF format.

Public Assistance Helps Local Governments Recover from Disaster
Release Date: October 30, 2008

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. -- Severe storms and flooding threaten more than homes. Disaster can damage or destroy bridges, highways, public buildings, parks, hospitals, water treatment plants and rural electrical cooperatives - not to mention leave tons of debris or disrupt communications and emergency services.

In addition to the many assistance programs available to help people recover from disasters, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) offers a helping hand to communities, county and state agencies and some private non-profit organizations that suffered storm and flooding damage.

"By helping local and state governments and looking for ways to reduce future damages, state and federal disaster assistance has an impact on every individual in those communities," explained Ken Riley, FEMA Federal Coordinating Officer in charge of the Arkansas public assistance disaster.

"Under the Presidential disaster declaration of October 22, 2008 for public assistance (infrastructure), local governments in Carroll, Clay, Craighead, Greene, Hempstead, Howard, Izard, Lafayette, Lawrence, Little River, Madison, Miller, Newton, Randolph, Sharp, and Van Buren Counties are benefiting from federal assistance," said State Coordinating Officer Richard Griffin.

According to Griffin, the Arkansas Department of Emergency Management (ADEM) administers the Public Assistance program and will brief local officials in the above counties on the assistance available and how to apply. Teams comprised of federal, state and local officials will be inspecting all disaster-related damage to determine the total restoration costs.

For approved projects, FEMA will pay 75 percent of the eligible cost, and the remaining 25 percent will be divided between the state and local community or agency. These projects may include such things as debris removal, emergency protective services related to the storms and repairing or replacing damaged public facilities. The latter category includes eligible schools, libraries and other public buildings, and repairing roads, bridges, water control facilities, utilities and recreational facilities.

Certain private non-profit organizations may qualify for assistance to restore certain types of facilities that include educational, utility, emergency, medical, custodial care and other facilities that provide essential government types of services.

Another assistance program, Hazard Mitigation, identifies areas where local or state governments can prevent or reduce damage in future storms, tornadoes and flooding. This may take the form of flood-proofing; moving, rebuilding or strengthening structures; lining ditches; building bigger culverts; and redesigning bridges to withstand greater flows or repairing roads, public buildings or utilities reduce future damages. While the projects are administered by ADEM, both state and local government work together to search out places where hazard mitigation programs can be most useful, cost effective and have the greatest impact.

FEMA coordinates the federal government's role in preparing for, preventing, mitigating the effects of, responding to, and recovering from all domestic disasters, whether natural or man-made, including acts of terror.

More Information on Arkansas Tropical Storm Ike »

Federal Aid Programs for Arkansas Disaster Recovery

Following is a summary of key federal disaster aid programs that can be made available as needed and warranted under President Bush's major disaster declaration issued for Arkansas.

Assistance for the State and Affected Local Governments Can Include as Required:

• Payment of not less than 75 percent of the eligible costs for repairing or replacing damaged public facilities, such as roads, bridges, utilities, buildings, schools, recreational areas and similar publicly owned property, as well as certain private non-profit organizations engaged in community service activities. (Source: FEMA funded, state administered.)
• Payment of not less than 75 percent of the eligible costs for removing debris from public areas and for emergency measures taken to save lives and protect property and public health.  (Source: FEMA funded, state administered.)

Payment of not more than 75 percent of the approved costs for hazard mitigation projects undertaken by state and local governments to prevent or reduce long-term risk to life and property from natural or technological disasters.  (Source: FEMA funded, state administered.)

How to Apply for Assistance:

Application procedures for local governments will be explained at a series of federal/state applicant briefings with locations to be announced in the affected area by recovery officials. Approved public repair projects are FEMA coordinates the federal government's role in preparing for, preventing, mitigating the effects of, responding to, and recovering from all domestic disasters, whether natural or man-made, including acts of terror.

HURRICANE RESPONSE - DISASTER ASSISTANCE

• To apply for individual or public assistance, or to aid others in doing so, see www.fema.gov/assistance or call 1-800-621-FEMA (3362).
• SBA Disaster Loan Information: http://www.sba.gov/hurricanes/index.html
• IRS Tax Relief in Disaster Situations: http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=108362,00.html

LATEST WEATHER UPDATES AND NEWS FEEDS

• Arkansas Severe Weather Services and Information: http://www.state.ar.us/severe_weather_services.php
• U.S. Department of Commerce/NOAA’s National Hurricane Center: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/#GUSTAV
• FEMA’s GUSTAV Web Site: http://www.fema.gov/hazard/hurricane/2008/gustav/index.shtm
• Disasterhelp.gov News Feeds: http://www.disasterhelp.gov/news-feeds.shtm
• Louisiana Emergency Information Website: http://emergency.louisiana.gov/

FINDING LOVED ONES

• FEMA has launched the National Emergency Family Registry and Locator System at https://asd.fema.gov/inter/nefrls/home.htm or via phone at 1-800-588-9822. To make a report for a missing child please call at the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children: 1-866-908-9570 or visit their Web site at: http://www.missingkids.com/

BUSINESS READINESS, RESPONSE AND RECOVERY INFORMATION

• IRS Tips on Preparing for a Disaster http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=205621,00.html
• IRS Tax Relief in Disaster Situations: http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=108362,00.html
• SBA Disaster Loan Information: http://www.sba.gov/hurricanes/index.html

HOW DOES THE GOVERNMENT RESPOND DURING A DISASTER? THE NATIONAL RESPONSE FRAMEWORK

The National Response Framework (NRF) is a guide that details how the Nation responds in the wake of disaster – from small incident to large catastrophes. This document establishes a comprehensive, national, all-hazards approach to domestic incident response. The Framework identifies the key response principles, as well as the roles and structures that organize national response. It describes how communities, States, the Federal Government and private-sector and nongovernmental partners apply these principles for a coordinated, effective national response. In addition, it describes special circumstances where the Federal Government exercises a larger role, including incidents where Federal interests are involved and catastrophic incidents where a State would require significant support. It lays the groundwork for first responders, decision-makers and supporting entities to provide a unified national response.

In addition to releasing the NRF base document, the Emergency Support Function Annexes and Support Annexes are available online at the NRF Resource Center. The annexes are a total of 23 individual documents designed to provide concept of operations, procedures and structures for achieving response directives for all partners in fulfilling their roles under the NRF.

The National Response Framework is available on FEMA’s Web site at: http://www.fema.gov/emergency/nrf/