SEPA Disaster Training Institute 2025

Client Care Program Overview is a 20-minute, basic level, web-based or virtual or instructor-led course. This course establishes a common understanding for how the Red Cross helps individuals, families and communities recover from disasters.

Client Care Program: Disaster Client Intake is a basic level course for disaster workers who will need to conduct client intake during steady state and while supporting disaster relief operations (DROs). A participant who completes this online course will be qualified to perform these tasks.

Detailed Damage Assessment for Disaster Action Team Response Operations is a 30-minute, basic level, web-based or virtual or instructor-led course. This course is designed to train Disaster Action Team (DAT) members on how to perform a detailed damage assessment to determine client qualification for Immediate Assistance which is the financial assistance provided to clients under the Client Care Program.

Client Care Program: Document Review for Intake Workers is a basic level, web-based or virtual instructor-led training. This course augments the Client Care Program: Disaster Client Intake training and focuses on the process for accurately completing Identity and Address confirmations.  

Client Care Program: Conducting Follow-Up is a basic level course designed to teach the process for conducting follow-up as a part of the Client Care Program through instruction, RC Care demonstration and follow-up participant practice in the RC Care Sandbox so caseworkers and supervisors can successfully execute assigned duties.

Client Care Program: Recovery Planning is a basic level course designed to teach the process for recovery planning as a part of the Client Care Program through instruction, RC Care demonstration and follow-up participant practice in the RC Care Sandbox so caseworkers and supervisors can successfully execute assigned duties.

Shelter Resident Transition with RC Care is a basic level course designed to teach Shelter Resident Transition (SRT) Caseworkers having conversations with the primary client to capture their information in a new case and capture their shelter transition roadblocks using the SRT Service in RC Care.

Public Affairs Essentials is a basic level, web-based or virtual, or instructor-led course. The course provides a general overview for Red Cross volunteers and employees who may have contact with traditional media, or use social engagement sites such as Facebook and Instagram.

Disaster Public Affairs – Visual Storytelling is a basic level course that can be taught virtually or in person. This course will help prepare participants to work as part of the communications team to effectively tell the Red Cross story to the public through photos and videos.


The course is intended to teach Red Cross volunteers and staff who are interested in serving in the Public Affairs activity on national Red Cross relief operations as Service Associates or Supervisors. This course is designed to teach Red Cross visual guidelines to a mixed audience of novice to expert photographers and videographers to support objectives during disaster. Participants will have the opportunity to engage in open discussions to reinforce important concepts and meet segment objectives.

Disaster Public Affairs – Writing for Red Cross is a basic level course that can be taught virtually or in person. This course is designed to prepare participants to work as part of the public affairs team to effectively tell the Red Cross story to the public through written work for multiple platforms.


The course is intended to teach Red Cross volunteers and staff who are interested in serving in the Public Affairs activity on national Red Cross relief operations as Service Associates or Supervisors. Participants will have the opportunity to engage in case-based scenarios, group exercises, practice activities and open discussions. These participatory activities reinforce important concepts and meet segment objectives.

Disaster Public Affairs – Media Relations is a basic level course that can be taught virtually or in person. This Media Relations training course is designed to prepare participants to work as part of the public affairs team to effectively tell the Red Cross story to the public through traditional media outlets by using proactive, reactive and interactive tactics


The course is intended to teach Red Cross volunteers and staff who are interested in serving in the Public Affairs activity on national Red Cross relief operations as Service Associates or Supervisors. This course will introduce the critical tasks necessary to initiate a disaster public affairs response with local and regional media. Participants will have the opportunity to engage in case-based scenarios, group exercises, practice activities and open discussions. These participatory activities reinforce important concepts and meet segment objectives.

Disaster Assessment Fundamentals v2 is a basic level course that is available in two delivery methods: web-based and instructor-led. The course introduces the tasks and responsibilities of Disaster Assessment responders on a disaster relief operation. This revised (v2) course has new content around updated damage classifications, use of the Disaster Assessment Pocket Guide, and information on the use of the RC Collect application.


Because of the new content, all Disaster Assessment workers must take the new course by March 2020 in order to retain their position. Current Disaster Assessment workers are encouraged to take the revised course before deploying in Disaster Assessment on a disaster relief operation. 


Both delivery methods of this course cover the same content. Participants have the option of choosing the delivery method that is best suited to their learning preferences. This fact sheet describes both delivery methods unless otherwise indicated.