Home
About CMAA
Who We Serve
Our Services
Our Partners
How you can contribute
Directions to CMAA
Refugee Links
|
|
CMAA staff have traditionally provided these services to refugees in a wide
variety of settings. Funded by the City of Columbus as well as others, some of the
more common examples include:
- Together with other sponsors, participate in development of resettlement plan for
new arrivals to provide for immediate housing, food, income, health care, education
and employment needs.
- Accompany refugees to appropriate social service and other agencies to provide interpretation and translation services.
- Educate refugees as to their rights and responsibilities with regard to affordable health care access, including use of interpreters, AEMA, HCAP, and so forth.
- Assist refugee clients with applications for social security, medicaid, other refugee assistance. Assist in follow-up needed to secure or adjust these benefits.
- Recruit and refer refugee clients for English as a Second Language (ESL) classes.
- Assist in enrolling refugee children in public schools, Headstart and Healthy Start programs, PIC summer employment and other youth education opportunities. Provide parents of school-aged children with orientation to school facilities and policies, and assist in parent-teacher communications.
- Work cooperatively with emergency service providers such as police, hospital emergency rooms, fire departments and so forth in incidents involving refugee clients.
- Assist refugees in their efforts to upgrade their skills, qualifications, or education. This would include such activities as procuring a driver’s license, vocational or other degree training.
- Assist refugees in their interactions with the Immigration and Naturalization Service for adjustment of status to permanent resident or citizen. Assist in procedures for family reunification and other initiatives with INS.
- Act as liaison to refugee community organizations for the promotion of cultural events.
- Assist in identifying and screening of refugees who are in need of employment.
- Assist in assessment of refugee clients’ possible family and individual obstacles to employment.
- Advise refugee clients on such issues as employer expectations, interview techniques,
work site behavior, etc.
- Assist in employment upgrading through referrals to higher level jobs, training,
preparation of resumes, job search techniques, etc.
- Where appropriate, encourage refugees to participate in programs that promote microenterprise, savings, home ownership, further education, through Jewish Family Services IDA and other programs.
|
