Manitoba Interfaith Immigration Council Inc. August 23, 2010 Manitoba Interfaith Immigration Council...

Manitoba Interfaith Immigration Council Inc. August 23, 2010

Manitoba Interfaith Immigration Council Inc.

Welcome Place

Presentation for: Canadian Multicultural Disability Center, Inc.

Presenters: Aurelio Madut Danto and Ariana Yaftali

Welcome Place: welcoming refugees & newcomers to Manitoba for more than 60

years.

Mission Manitoba Interfaith Immigration Council Inc. is

a voluntary association of faith communities and individual Manitobans that, through personal expressions of faith commitment, exists to welcome all refugees/immigrants and to serve them as brothers and sisters.


Definition of a refugee

“any person who, by reason of a well-founded fear of persecution for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group or political opinion, is outside the country of his (or her) nationality , and is unable or, by reason of that fear, is unwilling to avail him( or her)self of the protection of that country, or who, not having a country of nationality is outside the country of his (or her) former habitual residence as a result of such events, is unable or owing to such fear is unwilling to return to it” (UN 1951 Convention)


• Refugee categories and source countries• MIIC Works with Government Assisted

Refugees (GAR), Privately Sponsored Refugees (PSR) and Refugees Claimants (RC).


TOP SOURCE COUNTRIES FOR 2009 (Jan.-Dec)

Rank Country Individuals

1 Congo (DRC) 161

2 Eritrea 130

3 Somalia 121

4 Bhutan 107

5 Ethiopia 81

6 Burma 70

7 Iraq 46

8 Afghanistan 38

9 Sudan 31

10 Burundi 30

TOTAL 815


MIIC provides the following services:

Type Model

Settlement

-Receiving GARs at the airport-Establishing a settlement plan-Providing information and orientations about life in Canada-Facilitating referral and access to community services such as health, language training, and employment-Offering interpretation and advocacy to facilitate access to services in the community


Life skills Teaching by demonstration and practical activities the followings::-Safety measures-How to take care of accommodation and house customs-How to get around including using public transport-Banking and banking system-Smart shopping-Canadian culture and norms


In-Canada protection

Providing information about making refugee claims /or other in-Canada applications-Facilitating access to lawyers or other agencies as required-Advocating for those seeking protection in Canada-Assisting with applications for : making a refugee claim in Canada, work permits, pre-removal risk assessment, permanent residence , humanitarian and compassionate considerations and other relating to refugee protection status

Reception -Managing Welcome Place Residence and helping residences with after hour’s emergencies.-Picking up and distributing donated items to refugee claimants and privately sponsored refugees-Assisting clients in finding affordable housing-Arranging for furniture delivery and moving clients to their permanent housing- Providing child minding support for families in the temporary residence.

Volunteer -Providing classroom conversational EAL -Providing tours of orientation to the City of Winnipeg-Providing additional support to MIIC services and programsOffering friendship and support to a refugee newcomers-Organizing .in partnership with other like-minded organizations, special events for newcomers and volunteers-Participating in fund-raising and awareness events


Sponsorship -Sponsoring family linked, special needs , and visa office referred refugees.-Assisting refugee newcomers to reunite with family members-Partnering with community based constituent groups-Promoting and assisting with refugee sponsorship processFacilitating One Year Window of Opportunity applications-Assisting sponsored refugee to prepare for their interview-Providing services and resources to refugee sponsoring groups in Manitoba


2. Cultural Adaptation


• A set of beliefs, values, behaviours and a way of life shared by people who live in the same place.


What is culture?


What is Culture?

Language

Food

Music

Beliefs

Religion

Clothing

Values

History


What is Cultural Shock?

• is a physical and emotional discomfort a person feels when in a new country


CULTURAL SHOCK

• Might feel at loss of what is appropriate or inappropriate in the new country


• Might speak a different language or have different values


The person might:

Feel Sad or Angry

Lack confidence or be depressed

Have a hard time sleeping

Regret the decision of comingto Canada

Feel a Loss of cultureLong for family


• Different people experience cultural shock at different times and ways


• They might need help

• It’s OKAY to ask for help

Talk to your Settlement Counsellor or family physician


• Refers to people adjusting to the new country in a positive manner


What is Cultural Adaptation?


Stages of Cross Cultural Adaptation

Stage 1: Honeymoon Phase

Everything is new and exciting

Happy to be in a safe environment:Safe from War, PersecutionHunger and Homelessness

Better economic opportunities

High Expectations

• Differences in Language, Concepts, Values, and Symbols lead to feelings of inadequacy, frustration, anxiety, anger and loss of identity.


Stage 2: Challenge and Crisis

• Making friends• Approaching others• Taking employment unrelated to skills• Understanding jokes, humour and

sarcasm• Planning for the future


During this time most people have difficulty:

The person learns the language and culture of the host country


Stage 3: Recovery

The person might initiate evaluating the old culture versus the new

• Begins to work in and enjoys the new culture

• Accepts that the new country has different things to offer

• Starts to define and establish goals


Stage 4: Adjustment

3. Equitable Access to Services


Settlement Services

• Pre-arrival information– Scarce information provided in most cases– Good communication with local CIC

• Arrival process– Determine the needs of client

• Referrals with other agencies– Process and relationship

• Life Skills Training Program


Settlement Services

• All orientation and services provided in first language

• All materials provided in first language (First Steps: An Orientation Package for Newcomers to Winnipeg is available on website at www.miic.ca)

• Medical interpretation available through Winnipeg Regional Health Authority Language Access Services (when available)

• Case Management: Settlement Counsellor is the lead in consultation with other partners/agencies


http://www.miic.ca/

Mental Health Partners

• Aurora Family Centre• Mount Carmel Clinic• Society for Manitobans with Disabilities (SMD)• Winnipeg Regional Health Authority Language

Access• Cross Cultural Mental Health Specialist


Health Partners

• Community Clinics (Klinic, Health Action Centre and Mount Carmel Clinic)

• Private Practice: doctors with second or additional language abilities

• SMD (Society for Manitobans with Disabilities)• CNIB (Canadian National Institute for the

Blind)


Family Support Partners

• Wolseley Family Centre – Single Parents

• Aurora Family Therapy Centre• Family Centre– Day care access– In-home support workers


Schools and Crime Prevention Partners

• Needs Centre – Intro Program• IRCOM (Immigrant and Refugee Community of

Manitoba): transitional housing and support programs

• Winnipeg School Division #1: Peaceful Villages• Louis Riel School Division: Rene Delorme

School (transitional classes)• SERC (Sexuality Education Resource Centre)


Other Agencies – Family Violence

• Immigrant Women's Counselling Services• Mount Carmel Clinic


Case Study• Two sisters “A” and “B” arrived Winnipeg in October 2008 along with

additional family members. Client “A: age 33 is single and became blind at the age of 5 due to illness. Client “B” age 44 is a single parent and a mother of 3 ages 17, 13 and 10.

• The two lived together for the most of their lives in a refugee camp and continue to do so in Winnipeg.

• Client “B” has been a caregiver to Client “A” and has total control over Client “A”

• None of the two has ever been in a classroom and are illiterate in their own language. They only speak their mother tongue. Children have never been in a classroom either.

• They have multiple health problems.• They never lived in a town or a city. So everything in Winnipeg is alien to

themManitoba Interfaith Immigration Council Inc.

August 23, 2010

Challenges

• Accessing services required an interpreter. Only one person in Manitoba speaks their language and English.

• Both have to be helped to adjust to urban life including learning English

• Client “A” has to be helped to adjust to her blindness and to become independent of client “B”

• Health concerns have to be dealt with through appropriate referrals.

• Accessible and affordable housing was a top priority.Manitoba Interfaith Immigration Council Inc.

August 23, 2010

Establishing multi disciplinary team (monthly meetings)


Manitoba Interfaith Immigration Council Inc. (MIIC) – Welcome Place

•Hired an interpreter who speaks clients’ language as an Assistant Settlement Counsellor and also a Life Skills Trainer•Information about life in Canada•Interpretation services •Referrals to other services providers•Other supports the clients required

Immigrant and Refugee Community of Manitoba (IRCOM)

•Accessible and affordable house•Skills building•Life skills training•EAL classes for Client “A”•Rights and Responsibilities as tenants

CNIB •Resources for client “A” •Rehabilitation /Adjusting to vision loss•Orientation and mobility•EAL classes•Independent living skills•Teaching client “A” how to read braille and to use audio devices


Manitoba Labour and Immigration Adult Language Training Branch

•Resources for hiring language coach•Resources for learning English

Needs Center for War Affected Families •Psycho social services

Aurora Family Therapy •Psychotherapy

Entry Program •EAL classes and orientations about life in Canada•Referral to Winnipeg English Language Assessment and Referral Center (WELARC)


WELARC •Language assessment and referral to EAL schools

Misericordia Occupational Therapy •Motor skills –for braille/can-pottery, clay /hand exercise

Klinic Community Health Services •Medical issues

Winnipeg Regional Health Authority •Mental Health Assessment and further referrals

Outcome:•This multi-disciplinary approach worked •Monthly case consultation held to ensure client issues were addressed•Gaps in services were identified and solved•Positive impact of services on the clients became clear

4. Future and potential developments– Refugee clinic

• WRHA and Klinic are working on a plan to open this service at 425 Elgin Avenue, the past home of the Health Action Centre.

• The clinic will provide initial screening and temporary services to government assisted refugees within the first two weeks of arrival

• Expected to open this fall but there may be delays as hiring still has to take place– Hearing test clinic

• SMD is planning to open this fall. • Hearing tests will be available within the first weeks after arrival for all refugees

– Enhanced services for high needs refugees• Labour and Immigration is working with MIIC, Accueil Francophone, CIC, the Family

Centre, and SMD on a plan to provide additional supports for high needs refugees• An application for enhanced funding from CIC is crucial for full implementation but

several stakeholder planning meetings have already resulted in improved outcomes for recent arrivals.

• Goal is to have highest need refugees identified prior to arrival and funnelled to an enhanced service that can provide more intensive supports and work to enlist support services such as home care and child care on a priority basis so they are in place prior to arrival


Thank you for listening!

Questions?


Manitoba Interfaith Immigration Council Inc. August 23, 2010 Manitoba Interfaith Immigration Council...

Documents

Transcript of Manitoba Interfaith Immigration Council Inc. August 23, 2010 Manitoba Interfaith Immigration Council...