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Establishing: Developing a Roadmap

As you learned in the Technical Assistance Series publication Organizing an MRC Unit: Operational Components and the Coordinator's Role, the purpose of your local Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) is to match community needs with volunteer resources, both for emergencies and public health initiatives. Identification of the volunteers’ roles in an emergency is a key part of integrating the MRC into the local response plans.

If you have not clearly defined your MRC unit’s role in the community, it is important to ensure that:

MRC volunteers are not duplicating the efforts of other response partners
Response partners are aware of what the unit’s role is and the resources it has to offer
MRC volunteers are aware of their role and their place in the overall response structure of the local area

The activities of local MRC units can differ greatly because of the supplementary role these units are intended to play in their communities. Primarily, your MRC volunteers’ contribution will be determined by your local situation and by how you and your response partners decide to collaborate.

Part of your MRC’s planning process will involve identifying partners with whom your volunteers might work cooperatively. For more information on identifying and collaborating with others in your community, see the Technical Assistance Series publication Coordinating with Your Local Response Partners.

Although the MRC must be integrated into local response plans, the unit cannot meet all communities’ needs.

During the planning process, maintain your unit’s vision, and determine:

What you accomplished
How you accomplished it, given your community partners’ needs
If your vision needs to reflect a different understanding of the contribution required by your community

Clearly defined roles assist MRC unit development and:

Help prevent conflicts between volunteer-based response organizations
Allow volunteers to effectively self-select the most suitable volunteer opportunity
Give response partners a clear vision of how the MRC will be incorporated into the response plan, increasing the likelihood that they will support the unit’s formation
Improve risk management by giving volunteers a clearer understanding of their scope of activity during a response

Scope of Practice

Scope of practice refers to the range of activities an individual or group is permitted to perform. In many cases, this scope will be self-evident. For example, medical professionals are permitted to practice within a particular scope depending on their training.

Similarly, a human services agency may be licensed to deliver certain services as determined by law or may restrict its scope of practice to activities that support a particular mission or community focus. Restrictions on practice can be imposed from both outside and inside the MRC. It is essential for all involved to understand the limits of their particular endeavors. To ensure safety and reduce liability, ensure your volunteers do not act outside their designated role or scope of practice.

See the Technical Assistance Series publication Getting Started: A Guide for Local Leaders for more information on working with your response partners to determine your MRC unit’s role.

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Last Updated on 8/23/2006