Resources and Information

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Resources and Information

The Internet web site links on this page are provided as a resource to assist refugee service providers and the refugee population in their resettlement efforts. Inclusion of external links is provided for information purposes - it does not constitute an endorsement, recommendation, or favoring of the web sites or organizations. Any comments regarding the content or accuracy of the information within the external web sites should be addressed to the respective Webmasters/Administrators. (See our Conditions of Use policy for details on "Links to Other Sites" and "Limitation of Liability".)

NOTE: Some links on this page are to documents in Adobe Acrobat portable document format (pdf), and can only be viewed with the free Adobe Acrobat Reader.

quick links to page content:

Referral Services:

InfoLine Sacramento provides referrals to more than 1,900 community services in the Sacramento area. You can also call the InfoLine between 8:30 a.m. and 4:45 p.m. at (916) 498-1000.
California Alliance of Information and Referral Services (CAIRS) 2-1-1 is available in California counties to provide community service information and referrals.
The GovBenefits.gov web portal provides information on available U.S. Government benefits and programs.
Eldercare Locator is the first step to finding resources for older adults in any U.S. community (a public service of the U.S. Administration on Aging).

Housing:

Home Energy Assistance Program provides financial assistance to eligible households to offset the costs of heating and/or cooling dwellings.
Mercy Housing works with refugees and immigrants to ease their transition to the United States.
The Department of Fair Employment and Housing has brochures and publications in various languages regarding discrimination.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development provides information on tenant rights and responsibilities, apartment locator, subsidized housing, and public housing, etc.

Cultural Orientation:

Cultural Orientation Resource (COR) Center offers programs and resources that provide basic facts about new refugee groups arriving in the U.S. and various publications are available to help in the refugee resettlement process. One of the many COR Center publications are the Refugee Backgrounders which provide key information about new refugee groups for U.S. resettlement workers. Backgrounders include sections on the need for resettlement of the group to the United States, cultural attributes of the group, resettlement considerations, as well as a one page statistical summary.
Refugee Info is an information protal designed for newly arrived refugees to gain information about their new home. Much of the information is specific to San Diego and focuses on: education, immigration/citizenship, housing, transportation, employment, health, finance, etc. There are also various fact sheets available in English, Somali, and Vietnamese.
WelcometoUSA.gov web site provides the "Welcome to the United States" orientation guide available in 11 languages. There is easy and immediate access to the "Guide to Naturalization" and the lastest study materials for naturalization. Also available on the site is information and resource tools on finding a job and English Language classes in your community.

Immigration/Citizenship:

California State Naturalization Services Program (NSP) is administered by the Department of Community Services and Development (CSD) which funds community-based organizations to provide services to assist legal permanent residents in becoming naturalized citizens. The NSP offers a "Providers Directory" which is a comprehensive list of all local providers in California.
U.S. Citzenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) offers a free copy of the Civics and Citizenship Toolkit to organizations that serve, or that are interested in serving refugees and immigrants. The toolkit includes immigration and civics publications, handbooks, multimedia tools and guidance on how to use these products to help legal permanent residents integrate into their local communities and American society. Also see USCIS' "A Guide to Naturalization" web page for naturalization material and information.
The Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc. (CLINIC) provides legal immigration services and publications, as well as technical assistance to promote refugee citizenship and civic participation. CLINIC has a free publication, “Asylee Eligibility for Resettlement Assistance: A Short Guide” that was designed to give service providers the tools and information needed to address the barriers to resettlement and integration faced by asylees and to better assist their clients. Also see, Strategies for Naturalizing the Most Vulnerable - a guide for helping elderly, disabled, limited-English refugees.
The Tahirih Justice Center was founded in 1997 to address the acute need for legal services of immigrant and refugee women who have fled to the U.S. to seek protection from human rights abuses.
The National Immigration Forum's builds public support for public policies that welcome immigrants and refugees and that are fair and supportive to newcomers in our country.
The National Immigration Law Center (NILC) is a national support center whose mission is to protect and promote the rights of refugees, asylees, immigrants and their families.

Technical Assistance:

The Resource Guide for Serving Refugees with Disabilities a how-to for caseworkers and advocates who serve refugees with disabilities.
The Bridging Refugee Youth & Children's Services (BRYCS) provides support and information to service providers working with refugees, immigrant youth, children, and their families.
The Center for Applied Linguistics (CAL) provides information, publications, and technical assistance on a variety of issues related to language and culture. A new Culturual Orientation Handbook for U.S. Trainers working with refugees is available online.
The County of Los Angeles, Department of Community and Senior Services'Refugee Programs Case Management Services Handbook takes a strengths-based approach to case management, building on a person's skill sets.
The Institute for Social and Economic Development (ISED) Solutions is a nationally recognized consulting and evaluation organization headquartered in Washington, D.C. that specializes in refugee and immigrant services, economic and asset development, organizational capacity building, performance measurement, program evaluation, and public policy analysis.
The National Alliance of Vietnamese American Service Agencies (NAVASA) website contains new resources for development, grant opportunity, technical assistances, news/events, community and organizations link, and many others. For more information, visit the NAVASA web site or call the office at 301-587-2781 or email thanh.tran@navasa.org.
The Refugee Womens Network, Inc., (RWN) activities are focused on training refugee and immigrant women to become effective advocates for themselves, their families and their communities.
The Women’s Commission for Refugee Women and Children is an expert resource and advocacy organization that monitors the care and protection of refugee women and children.
...more Technical Assistance Providers

Health:

Survivors of Torture, International is an independent nonprofit organization dedicated to caring for survivors of politically-motivated torture and their families who live in San Diego County which includes refugees and asylees.
The Providers Guide to Quality and Culture web site has information on providing culturally competent services to multi-ethnic populations.
Healthy Families is low cost insurance for children and teens. It provides health, dental and vision coverage to children who do not have insurance and do not qualify for free Medi-Cal.

Other Resources & Information:

One-stop access to U.S. Government avian and pandemic flu information managed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
"No Ordinary Flu" comic book was develop to promote pandemic flu preparedness and is available in 12 languages. Targeting readers of all ages, this story tells the tale of a family’s experience of the 1918 influenza pandemic. It also explains the threat of pandemic flu today, illustrates what to expect during a pandemic (such as school closures), and offers tips to help households prepare. To order hard copies visit the National Association of County & City Health Officials (NACCHO) web site or use the above link to download in PDF.
California Emergency Preparedness information and resources, which also includes facts sheets available in various languages.
National Crime Prevention Council--Outreach to New Americans (ONA) promotes partnerships between refugee communities and law enforcement agencies to address the problem of crime and crime victimization in refugee communities.
The Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships For New Americans provides opportunities in the fields for which they seek further education. The deadline for applications for Fellowships for New Americans is November 1st of each year. Qualified applicants may write to the program office at 400 West 59th Street, New York, NY 10019 or may obtain information from their web site.
The Art of Burma Web Gallery provides photographs and information on the Art of Burma Exhibit from the Northern Illinois University (NIU) Chicago Gallery. Extensive information on the history and culture of Burma is available on NIU's Center for Burma Studies web site.

For more resources, please visit the California Department of Social Services' web site.

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