harnessing community support for refugee health · worldwide forced displacement is expected to...
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Harnessing Community
Support for Refugee Health Hersh Sehdev and Helen Mabberly
June 8th 2016
Conflict of Interest
Presenter: Hersh Sehdev and Helen Mabberly Relationships to commercial interests: Grants/Research Support: None Speakers Bureau/Honoraria: None Consulting Fees: None Other: None
Model of Health and Well Being
Overview
• KCHC as a change agent for Immigrant
Services
• Formation of the Local Immigration
Partnership
• Harnessing support for refugees in
Kingston
KCHC role in Increasing Diversity in Kingston – a city priority
• KCHC designated service provider
for newcomers since 2006.
• We needed leadership in the Kingston community to attract, welcome, integrate and retain immigrants- KIP was conceived attract and retain newcomers
Increasing Diversity in Kingston
• Kingston Economic Development Corporation (KEDCO), KEYS Job Centre, and Kington Community Health Centres founded the Kingston Immigration Partnership (KIP), this was the start of our harnessing support for immigrants in our community. Funding for KIP came in 2009
Journey 2006 to 2015
Immigrant Services Kingston and Area • 2 settlement worker, youth settlement
worker and community connections worker
Kingston Immigration Partnership • Development of the first strategic plan • Community Town Hall Meetings • KIP operations committee is formed • Development of Sub-groups to focus on
specific needs
Journey 2006 to 2015
Kingston Immigration Partnership • Sub- Groups – Health, Employment,
Education, Transportation, social • Global Talent Magazine is launched – latest
edition focused on Civic Engagement of newcomers in our community
• Annual Multicultural Festival • Improvements: Newcomer Bus Tour,
Shared Journey Project, Annual Education Nights, Made In Website
Government Assisted Refugee
• Summer of 2015 – KIP meeting, next stage of development
• Concept of Becoming a GAR reception centre developed in summer 2015
• Leadership change at Federal level • Fall KIP meeting – day after cabinet
announcement • Application supported by:
• City Council • Private housing providers- ( Homestead and
Keystone)
The global refugee total exceeded 20 million for the first time since 1992
The number of internally displaced people rose from 2 million to 34 million
Worldwide forced displacement is expected to exceed 60 million for the first time – 1 in every 122 people has been forced to flee their home
4,600 people are forced to flee their countries every day
Voluntary returns are at their lowest levels in over three decades
Source: UNHCR
BY THE MIDDLE OF 2015:
Canada’s Response: Welcome 25,000 Refugees
Building Community Support
• Breakfast meeting October, 30+ Agencies came out to offer support, Mayor, MP, MPP, CFB, UW, Community Foundation
• United Way offered to set up a Refugee Relief fund and register volunteers interested in helping
• Community Foundation provides seed money to hire a Refugee Liaison Officer to support our endeavours.
• KIP established the Kingston Refugee Support Network
Federal Refugee Crisis Response
• CFB Kingston was identified as an Interim
Lodging Site (ILS) late 2015 for GAR’s, decided to stand down in February 2016
• SELHIN Refugee Health Planning table • Kingston is one of only 4 new
Resettlement Assistance Programs in Ontario. Staff hired in May 2016, expect to resettle 120 GAR’s this fiscal year
Privately Sponsored Refugees (PSR)
• Around 70 refugees (PSR) arrived in last 12 months and more to arrive in 2016
• Over 15 Community Groups have or will be sponsoring one or more families
• Need to share resources & knowledge between groups • KCHC facilitates monthly meetings for PSR coordinators • Creation of resource guide and other tools to share,
learn and prevent ‘reinventing the wheel’.
What is happening in Kingston:
• Kingston Refugee Support Network addressing
needs and gaps in community such as: • Arabic Interpreters • Training as needed (i.e. cultural competency,
mental health) • Refugee Youth • Health network
What is happening in Kingston
Privately Sponsored Refugees – Coordination
Government Assisted Refugees – Resettlement Assistance Program
Kingston Refugee Support Network
Individual PSR groups
Volunteer list Various
thematic sub groups
Interpretation training United Way
Relief Fund
What Next?
• Applying to Ministry of Citizenship and International Trade, for a Refugee Settlement Worker and PSR Coordinator to continue our work.
• Settle 120 GAR’s in this fiscal year, matching volunteers on the United Way database with new arrivals.
• Continue the monthly meetings • Refugee Health web portal through SELHIN • Starting a Refugee Youth Group focusing on their
unique settlement needs
“Refugees strengthen societies through their cultural diversity and the contributions which they bring.”
- International Conference on the Reception and Integration of Resettled Refugees (ICRIRR), 2001
For more information: Hersh Sehdev
Tel: 613.542.2949 ext 1145 Email: hershs@kchc.ca
Helen Mabberly Tel: 613.544 4661 ext 5154
Email: helenm@kchc.ca Website: www.kchc.ca -> immigrant services
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