Rainbow Welcome Initiative
Heartland Alliance selected Nationalities Service Center (NSC) as one of three national pilot sites to participate in their Rainbow Welcome Initiative, the first-ever resource center to support resettlement of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and/or Transgender (LGBT) refugees & asylees in the United States.
“NSC’s exceptional leadership & amazing track record working with refugees made them a clear choice in what was a competitive selection process” said Sid Mohn, President of Heartland Alliance.
NSC will host one of the Rainbow Welcome Initiative’s regional trainings on March 21 – 23, 2012. The training will cover issues of sexuality and gender and examine the role they play in the resettlement process. Caseworkers, teachers, employment counselors, and health practitioners who work with refugees and immigrants will benefit from these sessions.
Heartlands Alliance received a grant from the US Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration for Children and Families (ACF) to establish the Rainbow Welcome Initiative, whose mission is to create a safe and welcoming environment for a population whose needs to date have often gone unmet.
“The Obama administration has issued a clear mandate that comprehensive human rights include the elimination of violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity,” said ACF Acting Assistant Secretary David A. Hansell. “Addressing the protection and resettlement challenges faced by lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender refugees is a priority for ACF and US Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), and we are pleased to bring on Heartland Alliance as a partner to support this key initiative.”
According to ORR Director Eskinder Negash, “The current resettlement network has limited understanding of the LGBT community. In addition, no information exists in the context of available resource materials specifically for LGBT refugees. The need for these services is critical to ensure their successful resettlement in the U.S.”
Heartland Alliance’s Rainbow Welcome Initiative issued a needs assessment and recommendations report to ORR, outlining measures resettlement agencies can take to ensure the delivery of comprehensive and culturally competent services that meet the unique needs and concerns of LGBT refugees and asylees.
The Rainbow Welcome Initiative also plans to issue a field manual to resettlement affiliates across the country and launch a resource website for both service providers and refugees, building a network of refugee resettlement agencies that can benefit from best practices.
Individuals interested in attending the Rainbow Welcome Initiative’s training in Philadelphia should contact Daniel Weyl at dweyl@heartlandalliance.org for additional information.
Heartland Alliance is the largest service-based organization in the United States and has nearly 125 years of experience serving immigrant and refugee populations.
For more information please visit:
http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/orr/
http://www.heartlandalliance.org
