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