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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Navigating the Impact of Hate Incidents and Hate Crimes on Clients and Direct Service Staff
Hate incidents and hate crimes can have a negative impact on newcomers’ sense of safety and well-being and can erode their feelings of belonging in
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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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 Resources Clients with many different immigration statuses are eligible to participate in […]
For newcomers adjusting to life in a foreign country, financial insecurity often emerges as one of the most pressing and difficult challenges to overcome. To support successful integration of newcomers and empower them to build financial stability, service providers must equip clients with the necessary knowledge and tools to navigate the financial system here in […]