Switchboard Blog
Switchboard’s blog posts offer a wide range of insights on the newcomer experience, including practical tips for navigating the resettlement process, resource lists tailored to community needs, case studies about relevant programs, engaging stories of successful integration, and more.
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Newcomer Taxes: Frequently Asked Questions
This blog post equips service providers with ready-to-use language for responding to newcomers’ common questions about U.S. taxes. Topics covered include filing requirements, income reporting, refunds, payment plans, and how immigration status intersects with tax obligations. You can use these responses as a starting point for client conversations and refer newcomers to tax professionals for…
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Service providers are crucial in helping newcomers understand and navigate their new environment. This role includes providing critical health information to keep clients and their families safe. This blog post from the National Resource Center for Refugees, Immigrants, and Migrants (NRC-RIM) provides guidance and resources for service providers on influenza (flu), respiratory syncytial virus (RSV),…
- NRC-RIM
Resume building is a vital part of offering effective employment services. When newcomer clients have never worked outside the home or have only held informal jobs, service providers may feel uncertain about how to fill the traditional sections of resumes. However, in nearly every case, these newcomers have relied on a particular set of proficiencies…
- Lauren Bowden
Refugee and newcomer families are often confronted with the daunting challenge of integrating into a new society while seeking gainful employment. This can be especially challenging for newcomers who are caregivers to young children. Service providers should familiarize themselves with high-quality child care resources to help caregivers integrate into their new communities and, crucially, enter…
- Switchboard
Supporting a community demands a robust support structure. Leaders of ethnic community-based organizations (ECBOs) particularly understand this. As defined by the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), an ECBO is a nonprofit primarily formed by present or past refugees to champion refugee progress. Having a community-led ECBO board can go a long way in meeting a…
- Karen Organization of San Diego
Successfully accessing federal student aid often determines whether newcomers can pursue college and career school here in the United States. Staying up to date on the latest federal student aid policies plays a critical role in newcomer service providers’ ability to support and advocate for clients during the application process. This blog covers key updates…
- Lindsay Dusard
The inaugural Refugee Resettlement Research Symposium took place from August 22–24, 2023. From three days of rich discussion, attendees gained perspectives from across sectors, examined policies and programs, and emerged with a renewed commitment to collaboration. Bringing together practitioners, researchers, community members, and government staff, the event was a space to reimagine and revitalize resettlement…
- Switchboard