refugee presentation for uta sisw
TRANSCRIPT
WORKING WITH REFUGEES:AN INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY IN THE HEART OF DALLAS/FORT WORTH
Diane Mitschke, PhD
Associate Professor
School of Social Work
What is a refugee?
0200,000400,000600,000800,000
1,000,000
Refugees seeking resettlementRefugees resettled
How many refugees are here?
• Burma=2,142• Bhutan=1,276• Iraq=960• Somalia=456• Congo=336
Unaccompanied Refugee Minors
Resettlement process
• To provide refugees with a safe and stable living environment, ongoing support from family or friends, and the means to become self-sufficient
• Assistance period begins upon arrival and ends 4-8 months later
• Resettlement agencies provide help with:• Employment• Language classes• Applications for federal and
state assistance• School enrollment• Housing and basic
furnishings
Then what?
“I feel like I want to go back to where I came from because everything for me seems to be very difficult.”
“I thought we would have a better life, and not to be struggles [sic] as [when] we live[d] in Thailand or Burma. Yet, we don’t have to scare of [sic] getting killed but we have to struggle in finding job and find money for paying our bills.”
“I thought I wouldn’t see violence happened around this neighborhood, but it happens all the time, even to us…We just want to have better life not to have to worry about who will come and make us have trouble.”
“I lost everything. Now I can’t do anything, even work. It’s very frustrating for me.”
“We aren’t educated, we came here because we want to see our kids grow up and have a good education and able to have a good job and have better life.”
Poverty
Language barriers
Transportation
Job Readiness
Violence
Health care
Mental HealthAcademics
Budgeting
Social Work Employment Opportunities
Local:• Counselor/Therapist• Job Placement Specialist• Volunteer Coordinator• Case Manager• Program Manager• Community Outreach Worker• Hospital Social Worker
National/International:• Office of Refugee Resettlement• UNHCR• World Relief• International Rescue Committee• Refugees International
Metroplex-Area Resettlement• Dallas
• Catholic Charities of Dallas• Refugee Services of Texas• International Rescue Committee
• Fort Worth• Catholic Charities of Fort Worth• World Relief• Refugee Services of Texas
Other agencies• Mosaic Family Services• Center for Survivors of Torture• Dallas ISD—Refugee Support Services• Area Hospitals and Clinics
Resources• Office of Refugee Resettlement• UNHCR Resettlement Handbook-US Chapter• Welcome to the United States Guidebook• TIN—Translation and Interpretation Network• Language Line• UNHCR: United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees• International Rescue Committee• World Relief• Refugees International
Tips for engagement
Ask Questions
Get out of your comfort zone
Build on existing strengths
Build on existing strengths…again
Meet them where they are
Be patient
Acknowledge power differences
• Paw Wah• Pah Day Day• Pla Shee
Pictured:
Caroline and Carol, a mother and daughter who resettled to the U.S. in 2005, recently attained their U.S. citizenship.
Diane [email protected] afternoons at Agape Clinic4105 Junius St. in East Dallaswww.blogspot.oneworldoutreach.com
The Pledge