The Hawaii Department of Human Services announced the Federal Emergency Management Agency has provided an additional $7.9 million to expand the state’s Disaster Case Management Program. 

This will allow the DCMP to more than double its current reach and serve about 3,000 households at a time, according to a DHS release. 

The DCMP connects wildfire survivors with Disaster Case Managers who assess their needs and create a recovery plan, connecting them with resources, providing guidance and more. The DCMs assist survivors for up to five years. 

So far, the DCMP has helped more than 3,800 individuals on Maui. Currently, the program is working with 1,400 survivor households. FEMA’s additional funding will allow the DCMP to add 20 additional DCMs and 20 additional Outreach Care Navigators, who connect with survivors and help enroll them in the program. In total, the program will now be able to serve about 3,000 households at a time.

“DHS is proud of the work being done each day by the DCMP team and that our efforts are being recognized by FEMA. This supplemental funding will help us continue to provide essential services and supports to survivors — and ensure that we can keep innovating and keep working to find new ways to support our community overall,” said DHS Deputy Director Trista Speer in a statement. 

Wildfire survivors who want to learn more about the DCMP should contact 211.