Int. J. Emergency Management, Vol. 12, No. 3, 2016 241
Copyright © 2016 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd.
A systematic review of the international disaster case
management literature in the aftermath of Hurricane
Katrina
Scott Manning* and Jane Kushma
Department of Emergency Management,
Jacksonville State University,
Jacksonville, AL, 36265, USA
Email: jsu1672k@jsu.edu
Email: jkushma@jsu.edu
*Corresponding author
Abstract: Among the many influences Hurricane Katrina had on emergency
management, the influence on disaster case management processes, practices,
and policies was significant. The recovery challenges imposed by the event
prompted a number of reform activities related to disaster case management
in the USA. While these reforms led to notable improvements, the problems
of weak capacity and poor integration continue to hinder effective program
development. These lingering problems have shifted attention to the
international domain as means to not only understand how Hurricane Katrina
has impacted disaster case management on a global level but also identify
lessons learned from international disaster events. As such, a systematic review
of the international literature on disaster social work and case management was
conducted. These results shed light on the roles and processes of social work,
the use of psychosocial interventions, and the barriers to service delivery in the
international disaster context.
Keywords: Hurricane Katrina; international disaster; emergency management;
social work; case management; psychosocial interventions; disaster
preparedness; disaster response; disaster recovery; systematic review.
Reference to this paper should be made as follows: Manning, S. and
Kushma, J. (2016) ‘A systematic review of the international disaster
case management literature in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina’,
Int. J. Emergency Management, Vol. 12, No. 3, pp.241–262.
Biographical notes: Scott Manning is a Doctoral Candidate, Research
Assistant, and Adjunct Instructor at the Jacksonville State University.
His primary research interests include disaster policy and planning, social
capital and network analysis, and community resilience. He holds a Master of
Science in Emergency Management and a Master of Public Administration
from the Jacksonville State University as well. Beyond academics, he has
served the Commonwealth of Virginia as an Engineering Specialist and
Coordinator for more than a decade.
Jane Kushma has been a Faculty Member in the Emergency Management
Program at the Jacksonville State University, since 2002. She currently holds
the rank of Professor and also serves as Director of the doctoral program.
She received her PhD in Urban Policy and Public Administration from
the University of Texas at Arlington and completed her dissertation research