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CATHOLIC IMMIGRATION

CENTRE OF OTTAWA

Joël Denis, Norah Lynn Paddock, Louise Saulnier, Leslie Wong

MPA 853 – June 8, 2011

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Background on Catholic Immigration CentreMandate and ProgramsStaffingFundingService Delivery

Social Determinants of Health and ImmigrantsSocial Support NetworksEmployment of ProfessionalsHousingLanguage Skills

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CIC BACKGROUND Philosophy:

Realization of Full Potential Ability without bias to participate in all aspects

of Canadian life – political, social, economic, cultural

Ability to act and contribute as normal Canadians

History: Religious origins 1976: Catholic Immigration Services – Ottawa is

set up. 1978-1981: Southeast Asian refugee crises,

services number of staff expand. 1984: Agency is incorporated as an autonomous

organization - The Catholic Immigration Centre. Today, CIC continues to expand its programs and

services to meet the needs of newcomers and the Ottawa community.

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CIC PURPOSE AND ROLE

SETTLEMENT SERVICES

• Language• Maison Thérèse

Dallaire (residential facility for newcomers with urgent needs )

• Completing Documents

• Education• Employment• Health• Housing• Immigration Issues• Money and Finances

PROGRAMS

• Host Program• International

Medical Doctors• International Legal

Professionals• Youth Centre• Pastoral Help• Community Projects

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SERVICE DELIVERY CHALLENGES

Language Training

Employment Support

Housing Support

PRIMARY NEEDS• Over 55% are

Government-Assisted Refugees (GARs)

• Slightly more women than men (51% versus 49%)

• Majority are between 25 and 44 years of age, often with large families

• Small, but growing, number of seniors

New immigrants generally arrive in better health than the average Canadian…

However, this advantage often disappears over time.

Healthy Immigrant Effect

CLIENT PROFILE

HEALTHY IMMIGRANT EFFECT

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STAFFING

$0

$1,000,000

$2,000,000

$3,000,000

$4,000,000

$5,000,000

$6,000,000

$7,000,000

CIC Charitable Program Operations Expenditures 2003 -2010

OtherConsultingCompensation

Source: Canada Revenue Agency, Registered Charity Information Returns 2003 - 2010

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FUNDING

2000

2002

2004

2006

2008

2010

$0

$1,000,000

$2,000,000

$3,000,000

$4,000,000

$5,000,000

$6,000,000

$7,000,000

$8,000,000

CIC Funding Sources 2000-2010

OtherMunicipalProvincialFederal

Source: Canada Revenue Agency, Registered Charity Information Returns 2000 - 2010

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SOCIAL DETERMINAN

TS OF HEALTH FOR IMMIGRANTS

INCOME AND SOCIAL STATUS SOCIAL

SUPPORT NETWORKS

EDUCATION AND

LITERACY

EMPLOYMENT AND

WORKING CONDITIONS

SOCIAL ENVIRONMEN

TS

PHYSICAL ENVIRONME

NTS

PERSONAL HEALTH

PRACTICES AND

COPING SKILLS

BIOLOGY AND

GENETIC ENDOWMEN

T

HEALTH CHILD

DEVELOPMENT

HEALTH SERVICES

GENDER

CULTURE

MIGRATION&

SETTLEMENT

IMMIGRATION

STATUS

HEALTH STATUS

LANGUAGE

SKILLS

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NETWORKS AND CIC Social support networks and

health: underlying premise

CIC as a Social Support Network:Services to expand individuals’

networks (e.g. language classes)Knowledge sharing (e.g. Federal

Skills Workers Program, federal credential recognition, and social assistance application process)

Helping themselves by helping others 9

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SOCIAL SUPPORT NETWORKS:KEY OBSTACLES AND

OPPORTUNITIES Obstacles:

Social support networks and vulnerable populations: A problem compounded

Correlation vs. causation

Opportunities: One part of a wider social support

network: Somerset Community Health Center, Family Services Ottawa, Ottawa legal clinics

Networking through volunteerism

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SOCIAL SUPPORT NETWORKS:POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS

Go right to the source – family reunification Increased support for community based

initiatives – neighborhood watch programs and food co-operatives

Increased support for social development activities, including intergenerational projects and cross-cultural gatherings.

Evidence based decision making - develop and test models to demonstrate a stronger link between social support networks and health benefits – e.g. gender analysis

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PROFESSIONALS AND CIC Employment is an important social

determinant of healthUn- or underemployment can cause

significant stress and mental health pressures

CIC helps immigrants to get foreign credentials and work experience recognizedLegal and medical professionals

Prevents “de-skilling” phenomenon

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EMPLOYMENT OF IMMIGRANT PROFESSIONALS: OBSTACLES

AND OPPORTUNITIES

Admission criteria for immigrants

Involvement of professional associations needed

Few national professional standards or assessment methods

Discrimination

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EMPLOYMENT OF IMMIGRANT PROFESSIONALS:

POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS Be more transparent to foreign

professionals about the realities of career transition as an immigrant

Encourage the development of national professional standards and assessment tools

Incent providers of training to help foreign professionals learn the Canadian work environment and pass professional qualification exams

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“Housing is crucial to health.” Government Assisted Refugees (GARs) –

receive government funding for first year that is equivalent to social assistance. After one year, many end up in shelters. Single person receives $350/month for rent, not

enough for own apartment, most live in rooming house

Family receive $600/month Initial 3 weeks period for RAP orientation is too short.

Large number of Federal Skilled Workers (FSWs) also come for help, primarily for housing.

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HOUSING:OBSTACLES AND OPPORTUNITIES

Obstacles: Income/Ottawa labour marketOttawa housing marketDiscriminationLack of referencesLanguage skillsRestricted access to social housing

Opportunities:Social housing partnershipsOutreach to landlords

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RECOMMENDATIONS National Housing Strategy – involving all

three levels of governmentsRental housingOwnership housingSocial housing with mixed incomesSupport for people with special needs (Layton,

2000)

Flexible capital grant program Private rental program Investment pools of money to create

affordable housing Provincial income supplement programs

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LANGUAGE SKILLS AND CIC

Language is a key barrier to accessing basic support services (particularly for refugees)

Language impacts:Access to careQuality of careHealth literacy

Language training is the most highly utilized service offered by CIC

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LANGUAGE SKILLS:OBSTACLES AND OPPORTUNITIES

Impact of communication barriers on quality of care.

Limited availability of translation and interpretation services through CIC

Lack of multicultural/multilingual health service providers in Ottawa

Mainstream health service providers need to become more culturally-sensitive

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LANGUAGE SKILLS:POLICY

RECOMMENDATIONS Increase government funding for

translation/interpretation services through settlement service providers

Encourage communities to recruit volunteer interpreters and coordinate resources

Extend eligibility of government-funded language training to temporary residents

Develop guidelines and training to help mainstream service providers become culturally-sensitive

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CONCLUSION

Health

Limited social

networks

Employment

challenges

Housingneeds

Language Skills