Integration Services Help

New Arrivals to "a Better Life"

23 December 2008 - TW

Being a single mother of two at age 22 can be a daunting challenge.  But being a single mother coming from another country with children, no friends, no relatives, no place to live, no employment and no ability to read or write is more than challenging.  It's the work that Integration Assistance Services at Lutheran Services Florida (LSF) addresses on a daily basis.

"Integration Assistance Service (IAS) provides resources and referrals to various individuals who settle in Tampa Bay," said IAS Intern Veronica Jacques.  IAS provides "both care managers and social workers who collaborate with various agencies to make the resettlement of individuals served manageable."

The target population for IAS includes refugees of all nationalities, Cuban/Haitian Entrants, asylees, Amerasians, trafficking victims, legal Permanent Residents and those with 60 months or less in the United States.

A CLIENT'S STORY

The story of Fatuma is a good example of the IAS experience.  (Fatuma is not the real name of the client portrayed here.)

"This woman entered the program at the age of 20 and was a single mother coming from the country of Liberia," said Jacques.  "She came to IAS not knowing how to read or write in her native language, let alone in English.  Some of the obstacles experienced by this client as a refugee included difficulty in obtaining employment, availability of affordable housing, adjustment difficulties both for this young mother and her children, and most of all this young lady’s literacy level."

With her enrollment in the IAS program, Fatuma was linked to affordable child care, medical benefits for both herself and her children, services from the Florida Department of Children and Families, and provided with affordable housing.

"These accomplishments were not obtained overnight," Jacques pointed out.  IAS has worked with Fatuma for two years.

Nor did they occur without the collaborative effort of a whole team of individuals at LSF.  That team included case managers Leonor Diaz and Mai Parker, licensed clinical social work practitioner Rosemarie Conner who provided emotional and psychological support, as well as Jacques who is a masters level social work intern, "and most of all the efforts of this client, who learned to manage many aspects of her life," said Jacques.

DIFFICULTIES ALONG THE WAY

It didn't always go smoothly, however.  At one point, Fatuma and her two children lost their housing.

"She was sharing an apartment with a friend who lost her job," explained Conner, who has served as supervisor for this case.  Fatuma could not "afford an apartment on her own," said Conner, and when her friend lost her job, she "could not afford to keep the apartment."

An application was placed with Tampa Housing Authority for a year, "but housing was not available due to the demands placed on the agency by those in need," said Jacques.  So IAS case managers checked out their networking relationships with various agencies and found shelter for Fatuma and her children through Alpha House, a transitional housing program in Tampa especially designed to assist young pregnant and parenting mothers in crisis.

Another problem occurred when Fatuma's literacy education program was closed "because of budget cuts," according to Jacques.  So Fatuma is now learning how to read through the I Can! Community Education Coalition, an organization of volunteers, professionals and community partners dedicated to improving literacy in Hillsborough County.

THE GOAL

The story of Fatuma is only one of many such stories that LSF's Integration Assistance Services encounters daily.  A total of 123 clients were served last year, and as is the case of Fatuma whose service has covered two years so far, many of these clients have continued into this year.  About 500 clients have been served since the program's inception in 2006, according to Connor, with offices in Tampa, Port Richey and St. Petersburg.

All the clients have a similar goal to Fatuma's.

Said Jacques, "When asked what she wants from her current advancement, this young lady comments, 'I want a better life for me and my kids.'" 

And that is what IAS at Lutheran Services Florida strives to provide.

To read more about services provided by IAS, click here.

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