Who is OHSEPR?
Leading Disaster Human Services
Human services providers work each day to foster the health and well-being of families, children, individuals, and communities to support people living at, near, or below the margins. We play a key role in preparedness, response, and recovery to support low-literacy, low-income, isolated communities, families, and individuals when disasters strike.
Disaster human services encompasses coordinated efforts to:
- Prevent additional destabilization of the individuals, children, and families who relied on human services programs, systems, and networks pre-disaster,
- Assist the individuals and families that need assistance navigating human services programs as a result of the disaster,
- Promote the continuity and restoration of human services providers and delivery systems in disaster-impacted communities, and
- Enhance the capability of human services providers in host communities to support displaced disaster survivors during their transition to recovery.
2026 ACF OHSEPR National Challenge Competition
The ACF Office of Human Services Emergency Preparedness and Response (OHSEPR) National Challenge Competition: Building Disaster-Ready Human Services Systems seeks to identify innovative, implementation-ready, and scalable solutions that strengthen disaster human services preparedness, coordination, and response.
Through two competition tracks, the National Challenge Competition recognizes practical approaches, strong partnerships, and lessons learned that strengthen disaster-ready human services systems across the country.
To learn more about the competition, including eligibility requirements, competition materials, FAQs, key dates, and the entry process, visit the 2026 ACF OHSEPR National Challenge Competition page. For questions, contact challenge@acf.hhs.gov.
Disaster Human Services Council
Learn about the new HHS Disaster Human Services Council.
Capabilities
Capabilities help human services organizations perform key functions that facilitate the coordinated delivery of human services.
Children and Youth
OHSEPR is working to support the disaster-caused needs of children services providers to enable adults to support children in their care.
Human Services Assessments
OHSEPR coordinates with partners to assess damages and identify disruptions to human services infrastructure, which includes providers, systems, and networks.
Case Management
OHSEPR provides Disaster Human Services Case Management (DHSCM) assistance to survivors of major disasters and addresses unmet human service needs.
Post-Disaster Housing
Securing post-disaster housing for vulnerable individuals and families after a natural disaster is one of the greatest challenges for emergency managers and caseworkers.