Page 151 - Creating Spiritual and Psychological Resilience

120 Creating Spiritual and Psychological Resilence

because without case managers, 9/11 Roundtable assistance could not be
awarded to individuals. At the same time, in January 2005, the number of
people in search of assistance began to steadily increase as more and more
9/11 recovery workers came forward with serious illnesses, in some cases
illnesses that were leading to permanent disability or even death.

Stage Three: 9/11 Roundtable and Coordinated
Services for Recovery Workers (2005–2009)

By January 2005, the NYC 9/11 Unmet Needs Roundtable had gained a
reputation in the community, among service providers and clients, as a
resource for assistance to 9/11 victims. As clients had continued to develop
their recovery plans, some had returned to the 9/11 Roundtable two or
three times requesting more assistance. In an effort to emphasize the
importance of intensive case management to develop sustainable recov-
ery plans, the Roundtable donors decided to limit funding to clients who
were at the end of their recovery planning process. A client could come to
the 9/11 Roundtable for assistance, in most cases, only once. The recovery
plan had to be complete and viable. All other assistance had to be applied
for and granted or clients had to show that they were not eligible for other
assistance. For 9/11 victims who had begun their journey in September
2001, these criteria were reasonable. But, then the recovery workers began
emerging with needs that had been unforeseen.
Approximately 60,000 people are believed to have served in the recov-
ery effort of the World Trade Center site (or Ground Zero). In a report
from NYDIS to the American Red Cross in written in December 2005, the
following was noted:
Since its inception in April 2002, Roundtable donors have assisted 2392 victims
and recovery workers. Approximately one-third of these cases have been pre-
sented this year, with 800 cases presented and 770 funded since January 1, 2005.
The overwhelming majority of individuals assisted this year are Hispanic (64%)
many of whom are women between the ages of 30–50 years. Compared with
inception to date demographic trends, this is an approximately fifteen (15%)
percent increase in the number of Hispanic people assisted through Roundtable
resources. Another large population served through the Roundtable is Polish
clean-up workers, comprising nine (9%) percent of Roundtable cases since
January 2005. There has also been an increase in the number of cases presented
for clients with undocumented immigration status, with approximately 35% of
people assisted since January identified as undocumented versus an overall 23%
of Roundtable presentations for people with undocumented status.