Emergency relief (ER) is the provision of financial and material aid to people in immediate
need, or a referral to link people with specialist community services.
The Handbook attempts to address the information needs of a wide diversity of organisations
across Australia, which have vastly different resource levels and offer their services in
a variety of different ways. This fourth edition is a practical, hands-on resource for staff
engaged in the delivery of ER to clients. It is designed not as a ‘blueprint’ for service design and delivery but as a guide that can be adapted to each organisation’s circumstances to assist them to best meet the needs of their clients. Managers and coordinators of community organisations and Australian Government departments will also find useful information about the design and evaluation of ER programs.