On the last Monday of each month close to 100 adult refugees from up to 10 different countries come together to break bread and get to know more about their new country. Central Presbyterian Church, at 8th and Brazos, generously opens its fellowship hall and kitchen for use that day-as it does the church building for ESL classes every day. The lunch is often preceded by a cultural education portion to address some of the ambiguities of American culture.

We can provide easy to make, low cost menu suggestions-so it is a relatively simple activity. Most of the 2012 dates have been unclaimed – so let us know if a particular month works with your schedule.

For more information, or to reserve a date, contact Lu Zeidan at lzeidan@interfaithtexas.org.

The program during the week is as follows::

Monday- Thursday 6-7 pm Homework Help
Monday 7 pm- Girl Scouts
Tuesday 7 pm- Adult Computer Literacy Class
Friday pm- Burmese-led Bible Study

There are currently enough volunteers to staff those programs, but the groups are seeking new intentional partnerships. One need is more help for the children who are behind in school.
For more information, contact Constance Dykhuizen, one of the program coordinators at, congraced@gmail.com

The audience included many participants with long experience working with refugees and the exchange was lively and enlightening. Some of the problems faced by older refugees –identified as refugees over the age of 50- included:

• Different cultural concepts of “elderly” – in some countries of origin it may be as young as 40 when people consider themselves too old to work.  Also hardship and stress causes many refugees  to seem older than their chronological age.
• Refugees over 50 have difficulty retaining information, have some chronic illnesses and may experience social isolation
• General fear of being a burden on family members.
• It is more difficult for them to learn English  which makes it more difficult to pass the US citizenship test. This makes them not eligible  to receive SSI/SSDI beyond 7 years.
• Employment  difficulty since many jobs that would be a good fit (caring for others, childcare, sewing) require individuals to be fluent in English or able to work fast on big machines.

Some of the positive points identified include:

• Older refugees exhibit perseverance, resilience and a dedication to ESL studies
• They are good employees  when placement is appropriate, very willing and dedicated
• They generally have some health positives – they are usually fitter and more physically active than older Americans

Solutions/Ideas for Roundtable participants to work on:

• Creating support groups for older refugees.
• Helping with additional orientations (especially to using the bus system).
• Support existing agency efforts to serve and integrate clients (advocacy, health appointments, orientations, etc.).
• Assist with employment – volunteers to identify sympathetic employers who would be willing to provide full- or part-time employment.
• Helping to create specialized ESL classes, or help in tutoring – focusing on folks with low literacy, and little previous formal education.

Sign up for monthly newsletter to stay informed at www.austinrefugees.org

As the refugees first come to Austin, they receive a point of entry health screening at the Refugee Health Screening Clinic, which is operated by the Austin/Travis County Health and Human Services Department. Each refugee is then scheduled an appointment to establish care with LSCC at ther Ben White Health Clinic location in South Austin. A special time at Ben White Health Clinic is set aside each week for these visits to ensure appropriate interpreters are available. Health care providers and staff at Ben White Health Clinic received special cultural training so that they can interact with the refugees in a culturally sensitive manner, observing the proper customs of interpersonal communication and having some understanding of the refugee families’ medical practices and beliefs.

During their initial visit with LSCC, each patient receives a thorough physical examination, and their medical history is noted and entered into the electronic medical record. Indicated lab tests are performed, and any health concerns the patient has are shared with the physician. The physician works with each patient to outline a primary health care plan, focusing on preventative care and addressing any existing health issues. Interpreters provided by the Refugee Health Screening Clinic accompany the refugees to their first visit at LSCC, and for subsequent visits LSCC contracts with the same interpreters, adding an additional level of care continuity and comfort for both the patients and the health  care team. Once established, the refugees may return to Lone Star Circle of Care as often as needed for the treatment of any ongoing health care needs.

By providing a true health care home for these individuals and families, Lone Star Circle of Care is providing an invaluable resource for them on their journey to becoming independent, productive citizens in our community.

From the Lone Star Circle of Care Insider newsletter

Panel Discussion: Saturday, Nov. 5, 2011

Free and open to anyone interested in refugee issues

Topic: “Refugees over 50”

A panel discussion with representatives from the various agencies that work with refugees will shed a light on the resettlement, employment, health and security issues pertaining to older refugees in Austin. The meeting will end with a discussion of how Roundtable members and friends can help.

Where:  First Baptist Church, 901 Trinity Street, Austin

When:  Saturday, November 5^th , from 9 to 11 am

Standardization

The new test is standardized, which means that applicants in any region of the United States will have the same 100 civics test questions to study.  During the test, applicants can be asked up to 10 out of the 100 questions.  All questions are answered in English and the applicants are required to respond in English.  Only 6 out of 10 questions need to be answered correctly.

The Questions

While some questions from the old test appear, many of the questions and answers are new.  The questions are also more comprehensive and require extra thought.  However, many of the questions have more than one right answer.  In these cases, all of the acceptable answers are provided in the study book.  The questions and answers are also shown exactly as they are worded by the USCIS.

The USCIS website provides more information on the citizenship test and free downloadable study materials.

Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is a federal program that provides supplemental income to those in need. Non-US citizens can qualify for SSI, but they must meet certain criteria.

Non-citizens can be eligible for SSI if:

• You were lawfully living in the United States on August 22, 1996, and you are blind or disabled;
• You were receiving SSI on August 22, 1996, and you are lawfully living in the United States; or
• You were lawfully admitted for permanent residence under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) and have a total of 40 credits of work in the United States. (Your spouse’s or parent’s work may also count.)

Other noncitizens, like Amerasian immigrants and Cuban/Haitian entrants may also be  eligible for SSI payments. Some refugees and other noncitizens can temporarily get SSI for up to seven (7) years. The expectation is for them to become naturalized US citizens by that time.

However, the reality of the situation makes this very difficult and in some cases impossible. Refugees who qualify for SSI are senior citizens or disabled individuals. Without a waiver (which those with some disabilities may qualify for), to become a citizen one must pass a test which includes English language and American history. With low literacy and limited language abilities the test is a big hurdle to acquiring citizenship. This means that these individuals might lose their SSI assistance -often their sole income- when they are 7 years older and much more vulnerable than they were the day they arrived in the US.

H.R.2763, is a bill that would protect thousands of elderly and disabled refugees who face termination of vital disability benefits this year. This bill continues current law, which passed unanimously in both houses of Congress in 2008 and signed into law by President Bush (P.L. 110-328).  Under this law, elderly and disabled refugees and certain humanitarian immigrants who are very low income may receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI) for up to nine years before becoming citizens, to allow time for naturalization.

This law was set to expire on September 30, 2011, at which point eligibility for SSI reverts to a maximum of seven years. Without passage of H.R. 2763 extending these benefits until 2013, thousands of refugees are supposed to lose their SSI benefits on October 1st and face serious hardship.  These are people who have fled persecution and trauma, and who do not yet speak English well enough to pass the citizenship test.