Workshop Session 1
Workshop Session 2
Workshop Session 3
Workshop Session 4
Workshop Session 5

 

 

Please choose your first and second choice workshops from the list below.

Everyone is welcome to choose from all of the options although this key is offered to help participants make their decisions.

 

 

This session aimed at those new to the field will look at resettlement agencies, ESL providers, volunteers and the larger community and help to sort out what the strengths and limitations of each group are in the resettlement/integration continuum.  Whose job is it to demonstrate the use of the toilet brush, and how can all the players involved do their part to ensure that survival skills, system navigation, and community integration starting with Day One.
 

Participants will take away a generalized picture of refugee resettlement and the agencies involved and will be able to answer a list of frequently asked questions about refugee resettlement and the long term and short term aims and purposes of the resettlement process. Participants will also be prompted to ponder and promote a level of acceptance and belonging for refugees beyond basic survival.

 

Presenters will give an overview of Global Gardens Refugee Agriculture Project. Participants will learn about the options that we offer for refugees to participate in agriculture, including community gardens, community farms, and individual farm plots. 

 

The Global Gardens Project has grown tremendously over the past two years, and now offers opportunities for refugees and other community members to be involved in a variety of ways. For some ethnic communities, converging around a community farm project has provided the motivation for community groups to organize, develop, and grow, as well as earn money to fund other projects.  Refugee farmers are learning entrepreneurial skills while selling produce at markets and to a CSA. Some of our community farmers are now transitioning to beginning their own farm businesses on individual one-acre plots. Several refugee farmers and community leaders will discuss their particular farm project and how it has benefited their families and communities.   

 

During the winter months, refugee farmers work on farm planning through a class offered by Global Gardens. Farmers will discuss the farm and business planning process, which may be useful to participants engaged in small business development or urban agriculture. 

 

3. Optimism & Determination— Focusing on Refugee Youth Qualities in Developing Tomorrow’s Business Leaders  
Ron Berning, Microenterprise Training & Assistance (META)

Refugee youth and adults are survivors--literally as well as figuratively. They have survived persecution, civil war, political oppression, ethnic cleansing, and unspeakable acts in their native countries Too often, they are further ostracized and persecuted and are forced to live in undesirable refugee camps in the countries in which they have fled to. 

 

Yet, refugee youth and adults are determined to live and optimistic about their long-term future. Refugees are full of optimism for a better life for themselves and their children when they arrive in the United States.

 

Optimism and determination are the two highest entrepreneurship qualities. Do we recognize these qualities among our refugee youth and adults? How can we, as educators, counselors, refugee assistance providers, and other professionals, encourage and develop these qualities among the refugee youth and adults so they can become fully integrated and perhaps become tomorrow's business leaders?

 

This workshop will include two or more refugee youth and adult business leaders who will provide insight into their own successes and challenges of becoming who they are today. An interactive discussion with the audience will give the participants an opportunity to share and learn more about the qualities of refugee youth and adults--how to identify and focus on their strengths to maximize their full potential.

 

4. How Do Secondary Students Learn English Through Content: Understanding Sheltered Instruction  
Grace Dalpiaz, Stacey Roth, Hester Comstock, Jill Ball & Jolene Lincoln, Boise School District
This workshop will be interactive and afford participants the opportunity to experience sheltered instruction. The presenters will use the strategies used in the classroom to facilitate the learning for English Language Learners. The participants will be involved in activities that can be used in the classroom to support a student learning English.  

5. Interpreting in the Mental Health Setting
Marla Lipscomb & Linda Lester, Tidwell Social Work and Consulting
This workshop with review the basics of interpreting in the mental health setting.  Presenters will cover ways and methods that make interpreting in this setting different compared to other medical or legal settings. There will also be discussion of some of the pitfalls of mental health interpreting (i.e. the challenge to boundaries and the risk of vicarious trauma).  We will have a power point presentation format.  Discussion, questions and group interaction will liven the topic.

Workshop Session 2, Thursday Feb.11, 1:30 pm 

Common Ground was The Momentum Group's response to the economic downturn that has greatly stressed the refugee resettlement process. Common Ground is an experiential job-training program for the refugee community that provides industry-wide language and skills training, formal documentation and assessment for refugees not yet employed. The Momentum Group contracts with community agencies to provide Common Ground workplace specific training and language instruction. 
 

We provide ‘intensive care’ training courses to refugees covering everything from customer service essentials, restaurant work, grocery, warehouse, and packing, hotel and housekeeping, and job readiness (applications, interviewing, employer relations, and job retention). All of our training centers on interactive and intensive English skills to increase their confidence and employability. We conduct site visits to employers in order to reinforce the training in each appropriate setting. Common Ground also operates a small-farm micro-enterprise where we employ refugees, build leaders, and conduct additional on-the-job training.
 

During 2009, we trained 50+ refugees for employment, employed 8 refugees at our small-farm site, and grew over 50,000 pounds of produce, 10,000 pounds of which was donated to the Idaho Foodbank. Over 300 volunteers across the Treasure Valley assisted with the Common Ground program to help make it a tremendous success in changing the lives of refugees. 
 

Come learn how it all began, how to get involved, and what you can do to make a difference in the lives of refugees new to our community. 

 

2. Learn How to Be a Trainer  
Kathy Tidwell, Boise State University & Tidwell Social Work & Consulting
This training is designed for beginner trainers and speakers who would like to increase their skills.  Two concepts will guide the workshop process:  authentic learning environments and transformative learning.  Using those two concepts, workshop participants will prepare a short  presentation, practice that presentation with a partner and receive supportive feedback.

3. Youth Engagement
Rob Weserman, Jacque Dahl, & other BGC Program Staff, Boys & Girls Club

Working with groups of youth in groups can be challenging. Learn how the Boys & Girls Clubs engage youth from different backgrounds and ages in fun activities. In this workshop, we will discuss the activity implementation methods used at the Clubs and learn some basic, fun games that you can use while working with youth. This workshop is a great resource for individuals who work regularly with groups of school-aged youth, from small families to larger groups of 20-30.

Presenter will share her experience living in a former Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp and also give an update on the status of the 20 year war in Northern Uganda. Presenter will also address current issues in education regarding students with trauma both here and in Northern Uganda and what is being done to support these students. Through a picture walk of the history of the war and her experiences while there, she will problematize the different issues, including the positive and negative effects that often come with NGO involvement particularly in education.
 

Also included will be a critical look at the differences in education and the progress that is taking place, and what was learned to improve her own teaching practice with students with war related trauma. This workshop seeks to raise awareness of the war and rebuilding taking place in Northern Uganda including how these issues reflect the local community and generate ideas that help to empower the refugee community here in Boise.

 

Hospice is an invaluable resource and support for those who have utilized it in the United States, but cultural and religious difference often prevent the refugee population from getting support during those times.  Medical, societal norms, language and communication barriers, psychological, religious beliefs and trust all contribute to barriers in end of life care and bereavement. How can we best understand the numerous customs in our local refugee community and support them during end of life?

 

 

Workshop Session 3, Thursday Feb. 11, 3:30 pm 

1. Expanding Perspectives: Building Compentencies Through Self Assessment
Jamie Delavan, Idaho Department of Health & Welfare; Wendy Morgan, Idaho Office for Refugees
Utilizing the continuum of cultural competency, this workshop will provide a common language for cultural awareness. Through hands on group and individual activities participants will examine personal ethics and values in order to develop a deeper understanding of culture in everyday interractions.

 

Presenters will offer an affordable, fair housing workshop. Workshop will cover landlord-tenant law, fair housing (and other housing civil rights laws), and Title VI compliance (LEP compliance). Great workshop for consumers, advocates, social workers, housing providers, government officials, etc. We will provide an overview of affordable housing options, creating an affordable housing plan, overview of application, screening, and leasing rights and obligations under Idaho Law and FHA. Presenters will also discuss rights and obligations for Tenancy, Title VI: Language Access Compliance, and common fair housing issues refugees face.

3. Identity Formation for Refugee Youth  
Kathy Tidwell, BoiseStateUniversity & Tidwell Social Work & Consulting
This workshop will offer participants an opportunity to explore the challenges faced by adolescent refugees, both in terms of how losses may complicate their developmental stage as well as the difficulties they face in rebuilding an identity in a new culture. 

The presenters, including a group of refugee students, will discuss how together, resettlement agencies and the schools can help parents and students by addressing some specific areas of concern, including parent meetings, behavioral expectations, religious differences, participation in extra-curricular activities, leadership development, and what we cannot take for granted. Participants will learn the refugees' stories and receive helpful resources. 

 

This workshop will take participants on a journey contrasting the old model of healthcare for refugees to an innovative, group model approach to healthcare and education. Participants will expand their knowledge regarding the benefits of providing culturally competent care, such as improved patient safety, reducing “no-shows” and increasing patient/provider trust.  

The workshop will conclude with a diverse panel from the refugee community, consisting of professionals, physicians and peer health advisors who work with the CARE Clinic. The panel will be facilitated by Marla Lipscomb and will discuss ways to provide quality healthcare to culturally diverse population and will discuss ways to more effectively address “taboo topics” that are a part of healthcare.

Workshop Session 4, Friday Feb. 12, 10:15 am 

 

1. The Game of Refugee Resettlement
Stacey Shaw, Amelia Self & Joshua Lloyd, IRC Salt Lake City
The resettlement game lets teams progress through the first two years after arriving in the United States.   Teams roll the dice to progress and each square they land on lists something that occurs to their family, and with that occurrence they either move back, forward, gain, or loose capacity cards. Seven squares on the board list a category of service (health, education, employment, finances, immigration, family, and housing). When the first team lands on one of these squares, the game stops and each team receives a scenario related to that topic. They have to discuss how to respond to the scenario, as a refugee family, and as service providers- how they would empower a family to act in that situation. When the first team reaches the end, count up the capacity cards each team has. The team with the most capacity wins. There are also crisis cards, and each team can give them to other teams during the game to take away some of their capacity.
 

This workshop will provide detailed step-by-step information on the process for refugees to get admitted to Boise State University. This discussion will include information on high school GPA and test scores (ACT & SAT), as well as evaluation of university transcripts and applying for and accepting financial aid. A profile of incoming refugee students will be given, along with the specific challenges they might encounter in this new academic environment. 

 

Additional information about testing and class placement once a student is accepted will be covered along with a review of the myriad of support services available to this population of students. Current BSU refugee students will share their experiences and advice. The workshop will begin and conclude with presenter/audience Q&A. Participants will walk away with information and handouts about how to help students get admitted to Boise State and placed into the most appropriate classes and support programs to promote student success.

 

We will concentrate on demonstrating strategies that can be used in the ESL classroom to promote mental health.   Participants will take away activities that can be used in the ESL classroom. We will also discuss special considerations for survivors of torture and trauma. How can the ESL classroom accommodate these special needs? Finally, we will describe the development of a pilot program on the use of film in the classroom. We will share a film assessment tool and make film recommendations. We will show a film clip and a lesson planning activity.

Present the definition of Case management, the process for referral and explain the services provided by Qualis Health.The participants will leave with an understanding of how to refer a Medicaid eligible patient to case management, understand the definition of case management and the services Qualis Health case manager provide to the patients to promote healthier outcomes for mothers and babies. Case examples will be presented.

 

 

 

Workshop Session 5, Friday Feb. 12, 1:15 pm 

 

1. Basic Mental Health Considerations for Non Mental Health Professionals
Steve Rainey, English Language Center
Trauma is arguably the most common refugee experience. The presenter will review the basic ways trauma affects refugees and their ability to navigate the resettlement process. The presenter will discuss common symptoms that are indicative of trauma, but may be easily mistaken for other problems. Attendees will learn some basic ways nonprofessionals can help the healing process and some things to avoid that may have a negative effect on survivors of trauma. 

 

Recently, we have seen an increase in the number of refugee immigration applications that have been prepared by unauthorized persons. Many times, this results in the applications being returned or denied and sometimes clients lose hundreds of dollars. 

 

The agencies and an local immigration attorney would like to educate community members, volunteers and interpreters regarding immigration applications and the law. We would like to give an overview of immigration applications available to refugees, what members of the family can they apply for and what applications should be applied for and when.   We would also like to educate conference attendees regarding what can happen when an application is improperly filed and the repercussions for the person who has filed an application who is not BIA accredited or an attorney. 

WORKSHOP CLOSED 3. All the Same Underneath? Not necessarily!: Understanding Differing Worldviews
Renee Johns, Crossing Points
Participants will begin by learning to identify their own culture and assumptions. Presentation will include models for comparing cultures, understanding the difference between Adaptation and Assimilation, and identifying and working with different communication styles. Workshop will consist of both formal presentations and small group discussion. A variety of resources for further study will also be offered.

Refugees are a very unique population within the United States. Their cultural backgrounds and lived experiences are frequently very different from the common experiences of our country’s citizens. In order for services provided in the US to meet the needs of refugees, the federal government, as well as service providers, need to learn more about the refugee community. Research provides a way for organizations and the US government to collect the information necessary to enhance the quality of services provided to refugees. When refugees are actively involved in research efforts, the depth, accuracy, and cultural richness of the information collected is unsurpassed. This workshop was developed out of a lived experience by researchers who partnered with refugees on a research project.

The purpose of this workshop is to introduce refugees to basic information about the different types of research and the research process, as well as to explore the varying roles of research team members. The discussion will then move to different aspects of relationship-building, including networking, equity, and expectations. Next, the many benefits of becoming a partner in research will be discussed. Lastly, the workshop will close with a question and answer session and some information that will assist refugees in setting realistic goals as they begin their journey into the exciting realm of research collaboration. 

5. Refugee Health: The First 8 Months and Beyond- Best Practices From SAMG
Dr. Laura Tirrell, Dr. Steve Greenberg & Dr. Louis Roser, Saint Alphonsus Medical Group
The purpose of this presentation is to introduce participants to the health problems of Boise's Refugee population and how to efficiently and effectively use the guaranteed eight months of insurance coverage.  Getting refugees into early care allows rapid identification and treatment of illnesses that might prevent full participation in acculturation trainings that prepare them for employment before the end of  benefit period and identifies refugees who should start the SSI application process.