Catholic Family Center

• Welcome/Introductions

• Brief history of Refugee Groups

• Overview of CFC’s Refugee Assistance Programs

• Resettlement & Integration Obstacles

• Q&A

Agenda

Refugees are those persons of special humanitarian concern who have fled their country of origin

because they have suffered persecution or have a well-founded fear of persecution on account of their

race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership in a particular social group.

Who is a Refugee?

In order to be granted refugee status a person must have fled their home from a well-founded fear of persecution. Natural disasters or economic hardship are not conditions under which persons can be

granted “Refugee” status.

Major Refugee Populations

In FY 2010-2011 we resettled approximately 700 individuals from the following

countries:• Bhutan (Bhutanese, Nepali ancestry)

• Burma/Myanmar (Chin, Burmese, Karen, Karenni)

• Africa (Somalia, Congo, Burundi, Eritrea, Ethiopia)

• Iraq

• Cuba

Refugee Camp, Rawanda

Refugee Camp, Nepal

Refugee Camp, Thailand

Eritrean Refugee Camp, Ethiopia

Somali Refugee Camp, Kenya

How They Became Refugees

CFC’s Resettlement program equips newly-arrived refugees with appropriate services, resources, training and other supports that allow them to build lives full of hope and to pursue opportunities which will enrich their lives here in their adopted homeland.

Working in close collaboration with local service providers, ethnic community and faith based organizations and volunteers, our services address the collective needs of refugees in a holistic and culturally appropriate manner ensuring their successful acculturation, fostering their independence and promoting their earliest possible self-sufficiency.

Refugee Resettlement Program

Mission Statement

Core Resettlement Services

Working with the US Department of State and Voluntary Agencies- CFC provides basic “core” resettlement services according to a

“cooperative agreement”

Reception & Placement Program (R&P Program)

Federal Government

Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration (PRM)

Voluntary Agencies

Church World Service (CWS)

US Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB)

Catholic Family Center

Resettlement Agency

Core Resettlement Services

Many times people ask us- how do refugees begin a new life here, when they arrive in the country with nothing else but the bags they bring on the plane?

Apartment○ Security deposit ○ 1st month of rent○ Home Furnishings (kitchen, bath & bedroom items, linens, cleaning supplies & toiletries)

Personal Needs○ Pocket cash○ Clothing○ Food

Reception at airport○ What happens next○ Transportation home○ A hot meal○ Intro to case manager○ Apartment orientation

Core Resettlement Services

Transportation○ TB Clinic○ School Placement Ctr○ First 2 Doctors Apts○ Social Security Office

Medical Services○ TB Clinic○ Immunizations○ Initial Health Screening○ Primary Care Physician

School Enrollment○ K-12 Placement○ Adult Learning

Cultural Orientation

Core Resettlement Services

Orientation○ Transportation○ Housing & Healthy Home○ Health & Personal Hygiene○ Personal Safety & 911/police○ Banking & Budgeting○ Utilities & How to pay○ Immigration & Naturalization○ Voicemail○ Importance of ID Documents

Employment Preparation○ Orientation to US Work Culture○ Resume Writing○ Interviewing & New Hire Orientation

Service Planning & Coordination○ Mental Health & Medical○ Preventive Programs○ Other services as needed

Service Providers We Work With

•High Schools- Social Workers, Psychologists, Principals, Parent Liaisons, Language & Placement Center, Transportation Department

•March of Dimes, Epilepsy Foundation, Lifetime Health, DDSO

•Ethnic Community Groups

•Community Centers- Maplewood Library, Mary’s Place, Lake Avenue Baptist Church, Grace Methodist Church

•Center for Youth Services

•Medical Providers- ER, Social Work Department, Internal Medicine, *RGMG

•WIC

•Mental Health Providers- Genesee Mental Health Services, SMH, Unity, Strong Behavioral Health

•Facilitated Enrollers

•Colleges- Nazareth College, St John Fisher, U of R

•Monroe County- DSS, Health Dept

We extend our thanks and appreciation to the following partners who work with us:

Saints Place (St. Louis Church)

R Community Bikes, Inc.OACES & the Rochester City School DistrictMercy BridgesMaplewood Library (Tutoring & English classes)

Rochester General Medical Group & RGHPleasant Street ApothecaryTB & Immunization ClinicMonroe County DHHS & Lead Prevention ProgramsVarious Ethnic Community Leaders & Neighborhood AssociationsRCORR (Rochester Committee on Refugee Resettlement)

City HallYSQC

Resettlement Partners

Beyond the Core Services

In addition to providing core resettlement services we offer assistance in the following areas:

• Employment Assistance (up to 5 years)

• Transitional Supports (NYSRRAP Program)

• Workshops & Trainings• Immigration Assistance

(fee for service, family reunification, limited green card assistance)

• Language Services (fee for service)

The Acculturation Process

The resettlement process brings with it a great deal of stress. Individuals arrive here through the processes of migration, losing

their property, loved ones and their status as human beings. Getting here is only the beginning…

Issues faced upon arrival:

•Changing family dynamics (Youth able to adapt quicker to the culture and pace of life in the US, learn English faster, become caretakers and often are expected to support their families, all while carrying on their culture and traditions)

•Daily stressors of living in poverty and other adjustment or “life” issues

•The stigma of being a refugee

•Difficulty speaking the language or “expressing oneself”

•Difficulty obtaining a job or knowing how to develop professionally

•Lack of positive role models & positive support structures

Culture Shock

Culture Shock

• Impatience with jobs• Changes in eating and sleeping patterns• Irritability• Lack of motivation• Inability to concentrate or to make rational

decisions• The desire to move closer to friends and

relatives

• Declining interest in learning English• Wanting to stay home alone• Overall depression• Physical ailments, such as digestive

difficulties and headaches• Lack of trust

Culture Shock is a normal, necessary and temporary part of the acculturation process. Some of the most difficult emotional adjustments

come after basic self-sufficiency has been achieved.

Some of the ways culture shock may appear:

Cultural Barriers

• Learning the Language

• Limitations of Public Transportation

• Lack of Technical Job Training & Skills

• Limited Knowledge of Professional Recertification and/or Skills Required

• Childcare and coordinating after-school care

• Cultural & Religious Holidays

• Learning Curves Might be Steep

• Importance of Employment Experience (Job-hopping)

• Concept of US Systems

– Giving 2 weeks notice– Arriving for work on time– Leaving voicemail– Using automated phone systems– Sick time and Disability or Medical Leave– Taxes and Net vs. Gross wages

• Time Management Skills

– Scheduling doctor’s appointments– DSS appointments– College enrollment– Requesting time off in advance

Useful Web SitesCenter for Applied Linguistics (CAL) http://www.cal.org/

Bridging Refugee Youth & Children Services (BRYCS) http://www.brycs.org/

UNHCR- United Nations Refugee Agency http://www.unhcr.org/

Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration (PRM) http://www.state.gov/g/prm/

Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/orr/

USCCB (United States Conference of Catholic Bishops) http://www.usccb.org/mrs/

CWS (Church World Service) http://www.churchworldservice.org/

NY State Bureau of Refugee Immigrant Assistance (BRIA) http://www.otda.state.ny.us/main/bria/default.htm

Refugee Council USA http://www.rcusa.org/

The Center for Migration Studies (CMS) http://cmsny.org/

The National Immigration Forum http://www.immigrationforum.org/

Useful Web Sites

Questions??

Contact Information

www.cfcrochester.org

CFC Main #: (585) 546-7220

Workforce Development ext ????

Jennifer Pincus

Community Outreach & Training Coordinator

jpincus@cfcrochester.org

(585) 546-7220 x 4628