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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Switchboard’s Annual Survey of Refugee Service Providers (ASRSP): Early Insights and Next Steps
The U.S. refugee resettlement system is evolving rapidly. Shifting policies and new technologies are reshaping how services are delivered, often in ways that directly impact both refugees and the service providers who support them. Yet despite their central role, the voices of service providers are rarely captured systematically. Without their perspective, policymakers and program leaders…
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The U.S. government announced that the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE) will end on May 11, 2023. The end of the PHE is likely to impact the clients you serve. This blog post shares four key changes you should know about and ways you can help clients prepare. For even more resources on serving refugee…
- NRC-RIM
Are you a service provider beginning to connect with sponsors for Ukrainian newcomers? Are you fielding questions about affordable housing for this population? This blog post is for you! Developed in partnership with Refugee Housing Solutions, this post describes how Ukrainians arrive in the U.S. and provides housing tips to share with sponsors for these…
- Sophia Martin
Child labor trafficking is an important area of concern for service providers who support Unaccompanied Refugee Minors (URMs). Due to their unique circumstances, children and youth enrolled in the URM program may be at increased risk for labor trafficking. URM agencies are community-based service providers with connections to child welfare, law enforcement, local schools, and…
- Switchboard
I recall sitting in my bedroom-turned-home-office in Washington, D.C., last August feeling distraught watching the news coming out of Afghanistan. Like most Afghan-Americans during that time, a sense of helplessness had washed over me. I wished I could do more. At the time, I was working at the International Rescue Committee (IRC) as a Gender…
- Yasmine Arsala
Switchboard, in partnership with Refugee Housing Solutions (RHS), recently published a blog post on Helping Newcomers with the Housing Search. Here, we focus on the housing selection process for newcomers, from walk-through to move-in. This information is relevant for providers serving clients who have recently arrived in the U.S. and have immediate housing needs (such…
- Sophia Martin
Determining whether a potential client is eligible for Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR)-funded services can sometimes be a challenge. This blog post gathers some key resources for service providers who are new to the work of navigating ORR eligibility requirements and documentation.Federal ResourcesClients with many different immigration statuses are eligible to participate in services from…
- Switchboard