States have diligently responded to public health emergencies and other disasters with flexibility, creativity, and strength. In response to the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency, states created leadership teams, identified populations most in need, responded to workforce capacity and safety issues, and continued providing essential services, to the degree possible.

This tool was developed as a checklist to help No Wrong Door (NWD) Systems assess their current operations and adapt to meet new needs arising from the COVID-19 pandemic or similar emergency situations. The overarching goal is to align the workforce to provide services most helpful for people in need. This assessment can help NWD Systems identify organizational steps needed to respond to emergencies, as well as to recover from them, to mitigate barriers, and to prepare for future emergencies.