Salve Regina University

Assessing Refugee
Resettlement Time
Limitations
Research Methods II

Tayla Conroy
3-10-2019
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Introduction to Study
The purpose of this study is to explore the nature of funding Refugee Resettlement

agencies’ policies and evaluate how they impact case management services in the United States

(U.S.) and their efficiency. Countries all over the world like the US accept refugees and follow

different national policies in regards to their resettlement process. A refugee is defined by the

United Nations High Commissioner (UNHCR) for Refugees, as “someone who has been forced

to flee his or her country because of persecution, war or violence”. The UN reports that as of

2016 this global issue is reaching the highest levels of human displacement, and 65.6

million people around the world have been forced from home by conflict and persecution.

Numerous national agencies comprising the UN have the role of enforcing policies in

exchange for funding as to what services are to be provided to refugees within their case

management. The national agency for the United States responsible for these policies is the

USCRI, otherwise known as the US Committee of Refugees and Immigrants. This study intends

to evaluate the impacts of a particular policy enforced by the national agency in regards to their

time limitation on case management for refugee resettlement. The USCRI mandates that there be

a limit of 90 days of case management, roughly three months, for arriving refugees. Within this

time period as summarized by Baxter (2018) consists of,

Safe and sanitary housing, furnishings, culturally appropriate food, applying for public

benefits, applying for appropriate documents such as social security cards and

identification, registering adults for English as a Second Language (ESL) and children for

school, assisting the refugee with medical services and immunizations, assisting with

employment, and providing cultural orientation (p.24)

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These tasks are to be completed in the time duration of 90 days as outlined by USCRI policy. It’s

hard to believe that all refugee populations universally will be able to complete these case

management milestones within the time period of 90 days, and then have their case management

be terminated. From the perspective of social work theory and practice as acknowledged by the

Council of Social Work Education (CSWE) and their collection of competencies expected, social

workers must engage diversity and difference in practice. Therefore this study resonates with

CSWE standards by evaluating how the policy affects special populations, and what

considerations must be taken into account based on the diversity of the client.

To assess USCRI’s 90 day limitation of case management policy this study will utilize a

questionnaire. This questionnaire will be provided to a non-probability sample, and will only be

available to the Refugee Resettlement department of Dorcas International Institute in Providence,

RI. In cooperation with the literature available and the results of the questionnaires, agency

providers can better identify special refugee populations that are likely to need an extension of

case management.
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Literature Review:

Bringing Refugees from Crisis to Flourishing: The Role of Resettlement Agencies and the

Church in Facilitating Integration and Stability, Baxter (2018).

This theoretical article introduces the context of the American refugee resettlement

procedure and expectations. Resettlement agencies are required to provide clientele services that

include,

Safe and sanitary housing, furnishings, culturally appropriate food, applying for public

benefits, applying for appropriate documents such as social security cards and

identification, registering adults for English as a Second Language (ESL) and children for

school, assisting the refugee with medical services and immunizations, assisting with

employment, and providing cultural orientation (p.24)

The services outlined in the article reflect the expectations of tasks that the USCRI has for

agencies to provide to their refugee clientele to establish self-sufficiency.

The determination for these services are evidenced based and supported in the empirical

article, Longitudinal Research to Promote Effective Refugee Resettlement by Beiser (2006).

Similar to the previously mentioned article by Baxter it is acknowledged that these services are

imperative to establishing the goal of self-sufficiency in refugee clientele. The findings in this

article expand upon these objectives for case management and claim, “that an early investment in

language training, cultural orientation programs and instruction in needed skills such as the use

of banks, understanding tenancy rights are likely to produce long-term benefit” (p.57). Therefore

agencies’ objectives are to provide these educational trainings to ensure the success of the

refugee’s transition.
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The article continues to outline the expectations of refugee resettlement and addresses the

USCRI’s 90 day time constraint for case management. These services have to be performed

within the time period of, “three months and then the case is officially closed” (p.24). The article

then asserts an opinion on this limitation, and acknowledges the inefficacy of this time restraint

being applied to all refugee populations by making the claim, “For others, more time and support

are needed in order for them to enter into a state of integration and stability” (p.24). The goal, as

identified by this article, of resettlement is integrating the refugee client into their environment

and building their abilities to sustain themselves in said environment. These goals of integration

and stability constitute the concept of self-sufficiency.

Concepts of self-sufficiency are also discussed in the article, Negotiating refugee

empowerment(s) in resettlement organizations by Steimel (2016) and are defined as, “refugees

determining their own goals and path with the support of the organizational staff” (p.12).

Through qualitative interviewing of refugee resettlement staff this empirical article analyzes the

beginning systemic procedures of refugee resettlement on a macro level by conducting open

ended interviews on the clientele of two refugee resettlement agencies. As evidence by the article

the concept of self-sufficiency obtainment is imperative to the resettlement process on a global

level. However, the research collected in this article addressed the possibility of particular

refugee populations flourishing and becoming self-sufficient dependent on their placement

region. This article studies the Canadian refugee experience and claims,

The process of selecting and bringing refugees to Canada ‘places’ them in designated

geographic destinations that are politically legitimate or convenient, according to national

arrangements and provincial jurisdictions. As a consequence, bureaucratic processes

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subtly reduce and obscure the scope of supportive social ties most relevant to refugees

during resettlement (p.15)

According this study’s authors, this is a fallacy on behalf of agencies in charge of arranging the

placement of refugee resettlement. What may predispose refugee populations to a poor transition

is the initial placing of the refugee, because the environment isn’t compatible with the person(s).

This concept of necessity of a social network as mentioned in the last article, Negotiating refugee

empowerment(s) in resettlement organizations, by Steimel (2016) also appears in the article, A

Mixed Methods Study of Refugee Families Engaging in Multiple-Family Groups by Weine

(2006) in which it is claimed that individuals are dependent on their support system as a means

of coping with the resettlement process. The work of both of Weine and Steimel’s articles claim

that social support is contributive to the success of the refugee client. Success can be measured in

tangible ways as outlined in the work of Baxter’s (2018) Bringing Refugees from Crisis to

Flourishing: The Role of Resettlement Agencies and the Church in Facilitating Integration and

Stability as sustaining income or housing. However subjective well-being, the client’s perception

of what is to be considered a successful is very important to how the transition is to be

conducted. It is important that during the 90 day period this is assessed, and means are sought to

positively affect the client’s perspective of their transition and their position in the new host

society. These means can include activities such as mental health assessments, outlining goals

that the client identifies, and seeking an agreed upon intervention. These resources and

procedures are reflected in the researcher, Trans, 1986, empirical article, Social Support and

Subjective Well-Being among Vietnamese Refugees, in which the claim is made that, “Social

Support systems seemingly facilitate the process of social and economic adaptation into the host

society by providing appropriate informational resources as well as tangible and emotional

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supports” (p.450). The data in these articles suggest that is important to assess whether or not the

client has established a social network in the means of community resources. The foundation of a

social support and network contributes to the self-sufficiency of the refugee client as elaborated

in Trans’ study.

On par with the theme of the importance of subjective well-being, which has been

discussed in Tran’s work involving studying the subjective well-being in Vietnamese Refugees

in regards to their transition to the host society in 1986. As learned in this article the perspective

of the refugee is important to consider in the evaluation of their resettlement. The empirical

article, Language acquisition, unemployment and depressive disorder among Southeast Asian

refugees: a 10-year study by Beiser (2001) explains what causes a refugee to be more susceptible

to either feeling negatively or positively about their transition to the host country. As identified

in this article these outcomes are correlated to the refugee’s language acquisition of the host

culture, because, “English language fluency was a significant predictor of depression and

employment” (p.1321). The refugee population’s ability to advocate for themselves is impacted

by language barriers, and therefore they may experience social anxiety. There is a clear

congruence between employability and language ability that impacts the resettlement process,

and being without a job can instill a negative self-image and perception of the individual’s

transition.

The importance of acquiring the host’s language is also reviewed in the theoretical

article, Immigration and the American Realities of Assimilation and Multiculturalism by Alba

1999. This article explains the experience of what it is like to not have English as one’s primary

language, and the privileges that come along with the acquisition of the language. However the

article acknowledges the glass ceiling that is posed for certain populations learning the language
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by addressing the disproportions of languages practiced in the United States. The article

identifies predominant languages other than English in American culture, such as, “the public

use of Spanish, and to a lesser extent other immigrant languages, is widespread” (p.53). The

commonality of the immigrant or refugee’s primary language in their host society is a

consideration to have in the resettlement process, because it acknowledges which populations

may be more vulnerable. As acknowledged in Alba’s 1999 article, populations that do not hold

the host languages, such as Spanish and English, as their primary language have more difficulty

in the resettlement process. American society often functions under these predominant

languages, which puts other speakers at a disadvantage as acknowledged in the article. However,

this article identifies other disadvantages the individual may experience despite efforts made to

learn the language and therefore socially mobilize. The article claims, non-black “members of

the immigrant minorities approach parity with whites and therefore reap privileges that dark

English learners may be unable to obtain due to cultural discrimination” (p.54).

The Path to Integration: Meeting the Special Needs of Refugee Elders in Resettlement by

Chenoweth (2001).

As acknowledged in the previous articles, such as Beiser’s 2006 study Longitudinal

Research to Promote Effective Refugee Resettlement there are some populations that may be

more vulnerable, and therefore need an extension to services. One of these populations is the

refugee elder. There are special concerns for agencies to take into account during resettlement.

It’s necessary for, “service providers to recognize the common challenges faced by all elders,

place these challenges in their cultural and migratory contexts, and modify services to be

respectful, culturally appropriate, useful, and life-enhancing” (p.21). This theoretical article

recognizes that this population experiences specific challenges that may impact the services
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provided, and therefore the time limitations of case management. The resettlement period

prioritizes employment, and this may be difficult for elders that are “surprised to learn that they

are not considered old by their new country’s standards, and they are expected by society and

public assistance rules to work and be self-sufficient” (p.21). This may take more adaptation for

these populations, and if they are retired they will not have the same exposure to acculturation as

younger generations would have. The article recognizes refugee elders can become heavily

dependent on the assistance of their family, and this can be a humiliating experience in which

they are losing their status and independence.

In comparison to the vulnerability the refugee elder experiences, other higher needs

refugee populations to take into consideration in the resettlement process would be children.

They have the struggles of navigating the school system, and being completely immersed in

American culture. Growing up with parents that are learning the system can be difficult for

children’s means of support as identified in the theoretical article, The Language Spoken at

Home and Disparities in Medical and Dental Health Access to Care, and Use of Services in US

Children by Flores (2008). Some methods to support school age refugee children as

acknowledged by Taylor’s 2016 theoretical article titled, Supporting refugee students in schools:

What constitutes inclusive education? would be to provide,

“system support for refugee students, a holistic approach to their education and welfare, parental

and community involvement, and working with community agencies”. There is a trend in the

literature in which community integration is imperative to the resettlement process as noted in

previous articles, such as Social Support and Subjective Well-Being among Vietnamese Refugees

and Negotiating refugee empowerment(s) in resettlement organizations. To establish these

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networks takes time, and agencies have to prepare clientele for success by engaging them in the

social community and local resources.

Instrument Construction

Population for Instrument:

This instrument is to be conducted on the staff members of the Refugee Resettlement department

of Dorcas International Institute to assess whether the target population, refugee clientele served

by the agency, has received an appropriate time of case management. The population being

interviewed are competent on USCRI policies and are trained to perform case management for

the duration of the 90 days. Their role is to complete the survey which will be accessible by the

department’s email, and to return their results to the researcher.

Purpose of Instrument and Construction:

This instrument is designed to gauge employee perspective on the client’s experience of services.

The information it is designed to assess is qualitative and quantitative data regarding the services

provided and it’s correlation to the client’s self-sufficiency. The following questions would

inform us whether or not the time quota is a sufficient amount of time to perform services that

instill the expected self-sufficient habits upon termination.

1. Do you believe the 90 day R & P period is a sufficient amount of time for clients to build
self-sufficiency and function independent from case management services?
a. Yes
b. No

2. If no to Question 1, what activities do clients struggle with past the 90 day R & P period?
You can select more than one answer.
a. Paying bills
b. Applying for insurance
c. Applying for financial assistance programs
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d. Operating appliances in their house

e. Navigation and Transportation
f. Enrolling child in school system

3. If there are other activities clients struggle with after the 90 day period please list them
below.

4. Do you think clients utilize community resources by themselves by the end of 90 days?
a. Yes
b. No

5. Is 90 days of R & P case management a sufficient amount of time of case management

for some populations and not others?
a. Yes
b. No

6. What populations do you believe are more susceptible to needing an extension of time to
the 90 day period for further case management if any?
a. Example: elders, kids, etc.

Methods

This study utilizes mixed methods by assessing qualitative and quantitative data in the

interviews conducted on a non-probability sampling. The nature of the questions vary from open

ended to nominal. The professionals of the Reception and Placement department at Dorcas

International Institute of RI, who have been educated and specialize in refugee resettlement, will

be provided interviews to answer by email for them to complete and return to the researcher. The

qualitative information gained in the interview will be assessed using the method of constant

comparison to identify themes within the staff’s responses. These answers will be assessed with

the purpose of identifying whether or not the time limitation for case management as prescribed

by USCRI policies is a sufficient amount of time for arriving refugee’s to gain self-sufficient

habits and function independent from the agency.

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Study Findings
The results of the questionnaire administered to the refugee resettlement team of Dorcas

International showed common themes supporting the hypothesis in which the 90 day period is an

insufficient amount of time of case management. There was a result of 11 participants and each

one answered the questions individually so that there wouldn’t be any inauthenticity within their

responses that could influence common themes. To address the hypothesis the first question

assesses their opinion of the case management time limitation. The question itself is nominal and

they can choose to either agree with the time restriction or consider it to be inefficient. Data

concludes a unanimous result in which all 11 participants consider the time limitation to be

inefficient, therefore indicating their support for the hypothesis of the study.

In relation to question 1, question 2 assesses what services are frequently needed by

refugee clients post the 90 day period. The two most common answers recorded were assistance

with paying bills and applying for financial assistance programs. The amount of participants that

selected these answers were seven out of the eleven participants. These are services frequently

provided to clients in the agency’s student resource room, which is designated for clients to

address whatever service they are in need of on a first come first serve basis. Therefore services

like paying phone bills, or reapplying for SNAP are frequent services provided in this office and

this is represented in the results of the questionnaire. The second most selected answer fell short

of these answers at 5/11 participants selecting this answer. Therefore the second most common

service needed subsequent to the 90 day period would be assistance with navigation and

transportation. To extend upon question 2, question three is an open ended question that request

participants to expand upon the services needed by refugees that aren’t included previous

question’s answer selection. The most common theme found within the data was a need for
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employment services. This theme appeared 6/11 times in the participants’ answers. Considering

this isn’t closed ended question it supports the prevalence of employment services being sought

by refugee clients. The data further supports the hypothesis in which clients weren’t able to

obtain complete self-efficiency during the R/P period because there is evidence of them needing

further assistance subsequent to the period’s termination as evidenced in the data collected.

Although the data supports the hypothesis the fifth question grants opportunity to reject

the hypothesis. The question assesses whether or not the time limitation is effective for some

populations and not others. Majority of answers, 9/11, confirmed that there are exceptions to the

validity of the hypothesis. This indicates that the hypothesis is true for some populations, and

inaccurate for other refugee populations.

Discussion:

In conclusion the results collected in the questionnaire indicates that the 90 day time

period isn’t an appropriate amount of case management to instill self-sufficiency skills in refugee

clients. There was a unanimous consensus amongst staff members supporting the thesis.

Although from the data I am able to make the claim that the thesis cannot be generalized because

results from the questionnaire indicates that this amount of time is sufficient for some

populations. Common populations that may struggle post the R and P period as identified by

staff members are most frequently elderly clients and those of low English literacy. English

literacy is especially important for resettlement transition, and it is a determinant for success.

Clients aren’t able to socially mobilize if they are not able to adapt to the language. Also

identified by staff members low literacy has a large impact on gaining employment, and

therefore supporting themselves. As Beiser’s 2001 study reports, “English language fluency was
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a significant predictor of depression and employment” (1321). Failure to learn English and

acculturate can leave the client vulnerable. Therefore as the Refugee department’s staff believe

there has to be more time in the case management period to rightfully prepare the client for

independence.

References

Alba, R. (1999). Immigration and the American Realities of Assimilation and

Multiculturalism. Sociological Forum, 14(1), 3-25. Retrieved from

http://www.jstor.org/stable/685012

Baxter, M. mbaxter@wr. or. (2018). Bringing Refugees from Crisis to Flourishing: The Role of

Resettlement Agencies and the Church in Facilitating Integration and Stability. Social

Work & Christianity, 45(3), 19–34. Retrieved from https://ez-

salve.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ss

f&AN=131273186&site=ehost-live

Beiser, M., & Hou, F. (2001). Language acquisition, unemployment and depressive disorder

among Southeast Asian refugees: A 10-year study. Social Science & Medicine,53(10),

1321-1334. doi:10.1016/s0277-9536(00)00412-3

Beiser, M. (2006). Longitudinal Research to Promote Effective Refugee

Resettlement. Transcultural Psychiatry,43(1), 56-71. doi:10.1177/1363461506061757

Chenoweth, J., & Burdick, L. (2001). The Path to Integration: Meeting the Special Needs of

Refugee Elders in Resettlement. Refuge,20(1). Retrieved March 10, 2019.

Flores, G., & Tomany-Korman, S. C. (2008). The Language Spoken at Home and Disparities in
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Medical and Dental Health, Access to Care, and Use of Services in US

Children. Pediatrics,121(6). doi:10.1542/peds.2007-2906

Potocky, M. (1996). Refugee Children: How Are They Faring Economically as Adults? Social

Work, 41(4), 364. Retrieved from https://ez-

salve.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=f5

h&AN=9607070628&site=ehost-live

Simich, L. (2003). Negotiating Boundaries of Refugee Resettlement: A Study of Settlement

Patterns and Social Support*. Canadian Review of Sociology/Revue Canadienne De

Sociologie,40(5), 575-591. doi:10.1111/j.1755-618x.2003.tb00006.x

Steimel, S. (2016). Negotiating Refugee Empowerment(s) in Resettlement

Organizations. Journal of Immigrant & Refugee Studies,15(1), 90-107.

doi:10.1080/15562948.2016.1180470

Taylor, S., & Sidhu, R. K. (2012). Supporting refugee students in schools: What constitutes

inclusive education? International Journal of Inclusive Education,16(1), 39-56.

doi:10.1080/13603110903560085

Tran, T., & Wright, R. (1986). Social Support and Subjective Well-Being among Vietnamese

Refugees. Social Service Review,60(3), 449-459. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ez-

salve.idm.oclc.org/stable/30011852

Weine, S., Knafl, K., Feetham, S., Kulauzovic, Y., Klebic, A., Sclove, S., . . . Spahovic, D.
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(2005). A Mixed Methods Study of Refugee Families Engaging in Multiple-Family

Groups. Family Relations, 54(4), 558-568. Retrieved

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Consent Form for Participation in a Research Study

Salve Regina University

Assessing Refugee Resettlement Time Limitations

Description of Research and Participation

This research study aims to explore the U.S. Committee of Refugees’ policies, and their impact
on a refugee’s resettlement. Through participating in a questionnaire your answers will inform
the evaluation of these policies and its impact upon this population. Your participation will
include signing the consent form and answering a short online questionnaire.
Risks and Discomforts
A potential risk for the participant is that answers may conflict with one’s job protocols, however
this information will be kept confidential.
Anticipated Benefits
Participants have the platform to express his/her feelings based on their experience in the refugee
resettlement process. Information recorded in the interviews may benefit the field of social work
by inform intervention strategies with this population.
Privacy and Confidentiality
As a means of retaining as much confidentiality as possible no identifying information will be
used in this study. However participants are limited to one location being used to gather data,
therefore complete confidentiality cannot be ensured because there is the possibility of
identifying the participant. The data in this study will only be reviewed by the primary
investigator, Tayla Conroy. Once the answers to the questionnaire are di-identified, Salve Social
Work professor, Heather Pizzanello, LCSW, Ph.D. will assist with evaluation. The findings of
this study will be submitted to the Salve Social Work Department.
Voluntary Participation
Your participation in this study is voluntary. You have the option not to participate and withdraw
consent. If you choose to participate you have the ability to omit any question you do not wish to
answer without penalty.
Contact Information:
If you have any questions or concerns about this study, please contact Tayla Conroy at
tconroy@diiri.org and/or the Institutional Review Board at xxxxxx.
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Consent
I have read this consent form and have been given the opportunity to ask questions. I give
my consent to participate in this study

Participant Name (printed)

____________________________________
Participant Signature
____________________________________
Date:
Investigator’s Signature
____________________________________
Date: