A support project that focused on the implementation of proactive, systematic and integrated efforts to reach out to and better serve New Americans in Northwest VT The New Americans Project

Presentation Outline  CVOEO-Organization Overview  Who are New Americans?  The New Americans Project (NAP)  Original Objectives  Project Process  Outreach and Marketing  Information Gathering  Surveys (some results)  Trainings  Challenges  Successes  Post- project Activities  CVOEO’ New American Initiative (NAI)  NAI recent activities  Did you know?

CVOEO-Overview  Mission To address fundamental issues of economic, social, and racial justice and to work with people to achieve economic independence:  CVOEO was incorporated in 1965 and one of five Community Action Agencies in Vermont.  We serve primarily the northwestern corner of the state – Franklin & Grand Isle, Chittenden, and Addison Counties.  We provide a wide variety of vital services to over 11,000 households (over 25,000 individuals) every year through 9 programs.

CVOEO-Overview  Provide a wide variety of vital services through 9 programs grouped in 3 categories:  Bridging Gaps Community Action Programs (CAP)- Chittenden, Addison and Franklin & Grand lsle Chittenden Emergency Food Shelf  Building Futures Financial Futures Program Champlain Valley Head Start Weatherization  Advocacy Fair Housing Program (FHP)- Statewide Vermont Tenants (VTI)- Statewide Mobile Home Program- Statewide Voices Against Violence/Laurie’s House- Franklin and Grand Isle

Who are New Americans?  In the context of the project, “New Americans” are defined as: “All people who arrive(d) in the US with refugee or asylee status, as well as those who immigrate to the US.” Categories: Lawful permanents residents (green card holders), refugees and asylees, non-immigrants, temporary humanitarian status holders and the undocumented.

Who are New Americans? Definitions  Lawful Permanents Residents: Any person not a citizen of the United States who is residing the in the U.S. under legally recognized and lawfully recorded permanent residence as an immigrant. Also known as "Permanent Resident Alien," "Resident Alien Permit Holder," and "Green Card Holder."  Refugees: people who have been persecuted or fear they will be persecuted on account of race, religion, nationality, and/or membership in a particular social group or political opinion.  Asylees: people who are already in the U.S. and meet the definition of refugee.  Non-Immigrants: people who enters a country for a temporary stay such as students, tourists, diplomats…  Temporary Humanitarian Status Holders: Citizens of certain designated countries who are given a form of protection due to natural disaster or ongoing armed conflicts such as Haiti, Nicaragua, Liberia…  Undocumented: people who lack proper immigration or working papers.

The New Americans Project (NAP) The purpose of this project was to:  Develop and implement more proactive and systematic outreach to New Americans.  Re-orient agency-wide services to make them more friendly and effective for New Americans.  Project timeline was 7/1/2013 to 3/31/15.

Original Objectives  Increase staff cultural knowledge and awareness  Develop short and long term marketing plans  Develop data capacity  Translate essential documents  Increase scale of NAs receiving services  Further diversify staff  Create long term sustainability plan

Project Process  Two overall facilitators – Sandrine Kibuey and Jim White  13 member agency committee representing 5 programs and including the Executive, Human Resources and Development Directors  Divided into two sub-committees – planning & training that met at least monthly since September 2013

Outreach and Marketing  Ongoing meetings with staff from NA organizations, UVM and VT Refugee Coordinator’s office  Created a Powerpoint overview of CVOEO and delivered to staff at NA organizations  Translated a variety of marketing materials  Marketed specific events through flyers, partner assistance and word of mouth  Organized a CVOEO Open House for NAs

Information Gathering SURVEYS  Conducted NA customer satisfaction survey  Conducted CVOEO staff survey  Conducted CVOEO PD and Administration survey DATA COLLECTION  Created a data collection tool in Excel  Created a one year baseline, and one year of follow-up data  Integrated NA data collection into a new agency database

Customer Survey (some results)  57% used Nepali as dominant language  36.3% had children 5 and under  26.7% had members 60 and older  92%+ were satisfied with experience at CVOEO  Food Shelf was most used, followed by Community Action and Head Start  65% used CVOEO at least monthly  82% know little or nothing about CVOEO services  Pressing needs – learning English, paying bills, dealing with paperwork, employment, affordable housing, transportation, health care and saving money

CVOEO Staff Survey (some results)  73.5% had worked directly with NAs at CVOEO  76% think CVOEO overall is doing a good, very good or excellent job at serving NAs. More critical of their own programs  Top barriers to serving NAs – language, cultural barriers and outreach (knowing services are there and how to access)  Top ways to improve services – more access to interpretation, cultural competency training, make NAs feel welcome, translate all literature, improve outreach and referrals

CVOEO Program Director Survey (some results)  When asked if the program staff shared NA success stories, 33% said yes or somewhat, 33% were neutral, the rest said no.  When asked if their program discusses the barriers and challenges to working across cultures, 44% said yes, 22% were neutral, 22% said no.  When asked if there could be strengthening of client assessment regarding assimilation into mainstream culture, 33% said (yes) somewhat, while the rest were neutral or no.

Trainings  Cultural Competency training #1 at agency daylong retreat  Cultural Competency training #2 for PDs and administrators  Cultural Competency training #3 at beginning of long term planning sessions  Facilitators attended presentation on Refugees training at UVM  Three staff attended 2014 Diversity Conference in Burlington  CVOEO group and partners traveled overnight to Portland, ME.  Offered two “How to work with interpreters” trainings  Offered two “Multicultural look at nonverbal communication” trainings

Challenges  Data collection  Interpretation  Translation  Recruiting for classes and events  Some CVOEO programs are convinced they don’t have NA participants  Hiring  Keeping the momentum going

Successes  More communication/collaboration with NA organizations  Data collection  Staff more culturally aware  Open House  Protocols created for using interpreters  Interpreted tax and financial classes  Parent University collaboration  Plan with CHT for shared interpreted classes  Various documents translated  Revised hiring protocols (at the pre-application stage)  Long term planning sessions

Post-project activities  New agency initiative: creation of the New American Initiative committee (NAI)  Continued and reinforcement of communication and collaboration with NA organizations

New American Initiative Committee (NAI)  Consist of: Board members, Administration, Program Director(s), Staff and members of the New American Community.  Oversees and promotes activities through sub- committees to better meet the NA community needs  4 subcommittees: Outreach, Training, Hiring and Sustainability

NAI-Recent Activities  Outreach activities: open House, CVOEO presentations (Rispnet, AALV, VRRP)  Training: OEO Conference, OEO Cultural Competency Webinar  Hiring: review of our current hiring and recruitment practices  Sustainability: continued search for funding: OEO- ASAP, ORR/State of VT Refugee Office-RSS, Parent University Results: Increase number of New Americans who have applied for positions and/or used our services.

Did you know?

Contacts Sandrine Kibuey CVOEO Chittenden Community Action-Associate Director PO Box 1603 (255 So. Champlain St.) Burlington VT Ext. 749 Jim White CVOEO Financial Futures Program-Director PO Box 1603 (255 So. Champlain St.) Burlington, VT Ext. 112

Thank you!