International Institute Of Metropolitan St Louis

INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE OF METROPOLITAN ST. LOUIS BUILDS A MORE CONNECTED AND PRODUCTIVE SOCIETY FOR IMMIGRANTS, THEIR FAMILIES, AND THE WIDER COMMUNITY.

CASE MANAGEMENT & RESETTLEMENT - SEE SCHEDULE OCASE MANAGEMENT & RESETTLEMENT:SERVICES IN THIS PROGRAM AREA ARE SHORT-TERM, GENERALLY LASTING UP TO SIX MONTHS AFTER PROGRAM REGISTRATION. REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT SERVICES INCLUDE AIRPORT PICK-UP; PROVISION OF HOUSING AND FURNISHINGS ON ARRIVAL, FOOD, CLOTHING, TRANSPORTATION, AND INTERPRETATION FOR SPONSORED REFUGEES. IN ADDITION TO THESE BASIC NEEDS, WE PROVIDE CASE MANAGEMENT, CULTURAL ORIENTATION, LINKAGES FOR INITIAL HEALTH SCREENINGS, BENEFITS ENROLLMENT, SCHOOL ENROLLMENT, CRISIS INTERVENTION, AND VARIOUS COMMUNITY REFERRALS. STAFF MEMBERS MEET REFUGEES AT THE AIRPORT, DELIVER THEM TO HOUSING RENTED FOR THEM, OFFER ORIENTATION, AND HELP THEM BEGIN THE PROCESS OF BUILDING A NEW LIFE IN ST. LOUIS. DEPENDING ON THE NEEDS OF EACH REFUGEE FAMILY, SERVICES CAN INCLUDE REFERRALS TO REGISTRATION FOR ENGLISH CLASSES FOR ADULTS AND PUBLIC SCHOOL FOR CHILDREN, EMPLOYMENT SERVICES, AND STATE AND FEDERAL BENEFITS APPLICATIONS, INCLUDING ENROLLMENT INTO THE FEDERAL MARKETPLACE. CLIENTS ARE ASSIGNED A CASE SPECIALIST OF SIMILAR LANGUAGE AND CULTURE WHEN AVAILABLE. IN 2020, A TOTAL OF 232 REFUGEES WERE SERVED, INCLUDING 75 AFGHANS AND 52 FROM THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO. THIS PROGRAM ADDED SERVICES FOR HOUSING AND RENTAL ASSISTANCE THROUGH EMERGENCY FUNDS MADE AVAILABLE THROUGH ST. LOUIS CITY.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT - SEE SCHEDULE OCOMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT:THE FOCUS OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT IS TO 1) CONNECT ST. LOUISANS THROUGH WELCOMING EXPERIENCES, 2) IMPROVE THE CULTURAL COMPETENCY AND COMMUNICATION SKILLS OF CUSTOMERS AND THE WIDER COMMUNITY, AND 3) LEAD ON ISSUES, WHICH IMPACT REFUGEES AND IMMIGRATION. ACCORDINGLY, WE OFFER A WHOLE HOST OF INTEGRATIVE SERVICES, WHICH ARE FOCUSED EXTERNALLY ON IMMIGRANT AND NATIVE-BORN MEMBERS OF THE REGION. TO HELP BUILD A MORE INCLUSIVE COMMUNITY, THE INSTITUTE PRODUCES FESTIVAL OF NATIONS, OUR REGION'S LARGEST MULTICULTURAL FESTIVAL THAT ANNUALLY CONNECTS MORE THAN 125,000 VISITORS FROM 100 REGIONAL ZIP CODES WITH THE CULTURAL TRADITIONS OF NEWCOMERS AND LONG-TIMERS. THE FESTIVAL FOCUSES ON COMMON CULTURAL ATTRACTIONS, FOOD, MUSIC AND DANCE AND IS, THEREFORE, A HIGHLY ENTERTAINING OPPORTUNITY FOR ST. LOUISANS TO LEARN ABOUT AND BUILD GREATER APPRECIATION FOR OUR COMMUNITY'S GROWING DIVERSITY. THE FESTIVAL IS ALSO A VALUABLE VENUE FOR OTHER LOCAL NON-PROFITS TO CONNECT WITH THESE NEWCOMERS, WHO ARE DIFFICULT TO REACH THROUGH TRADITIONAL MEDIA. DUE TO COVID-19 PANDEMIC, IN-PERSON TOURS AND VISITS WERE LIMITED BUT THAT DID NOT STOP THE INTERNATIONL INSTITUTE FROM CONNECTING WITH THE COMMUNITY. IN 2021 WE PROVIDED TEN VIRTUAL DISCUSSIONS ABOUT TOPICS AFFECTING IMMIGRANTS IN THE ST. LOUIS REGION THROUGH OUR INCLUSION ST. LOUIS SPEAKERS SERIES. THER WERE 300 ATTENDEES THROUGHTOUT THE SERIES WHO PARTICIPATED, BUT MANY MORE VIEWED THIS CONTENT AFTER ON OUR YOU TUBE CHANNEL. IN ADDITION, WE PROVIDED SIXTEEN WEEKLY COMMUNITY UPDATE PRESENTATIONS. WEEKLY COMMUNITY UPDATES WERE CRITICAL IN ORDER TO MOBILIZE THE ORGANIZATIONS, VOULUNTEERS AND ADDITIONAL SUPPORT FOR NEWLY ARRIVING INDIVIDUALS FOLLOWING THE FALL OF KABUL, AFGHANISAN. WEEKLY COMMUNITY CALLS INVITED 165 DIFFERENT PARTNERING ORGANIZATIONS, BUSINESSES, AND SUPPORT SERVICES IN THE ST. LOUIS AREA TO HELP BEST SERVE THIS GROWING POPULATION. ADDITIONALLY, STAFF LEADERS ENGAGED IN 78 REGIONAL, NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL MEDIA INTERVIEW TO HELP THE PUBLIC BETTER UNDERSTAND THE COMPLEX ISSUES SURROUNDING IMMIGRANTS, IMMIGRATION, AND REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT. OUR BUSINESS SOLUTIONS CENTER (IIBSC) OFFERED 494 TELELANGUAGE INTERPRETATION APPOINTMENTS, AS WELL AS 268 TRANSLATION PROJECTS TO ASSIST OTHER COMPANIES AND ORGANIZATIONS TO WORK WITH IMMIGRANT NEWCOMERS. THESE SERVICES INCLUDE SEVERAL HUNDRED HOURS OF REDUCED RATE INTERPRETATION AND TRANSLATION FOR OTHER NON-PROFIT PROVIDERS. OUR STAFF AND STUDENT INTERNS POSTED 185 STORIES ON FACEBOOK, TWITTER AND SOCIAL MEDIA SITES.

EDUCATION & CITIZENSHIP - SEE SCHEDULE OEDUCATION & CITIZENSHIP:OUR PROGRAMS HELP IMMIGRANTS ACQUIRE THE LANGUAGE AND KNOWLEDGE THEY NEED TO MEET CHALLENGES OF THEIR ROLES AS MEMBERS OF THEIR FAMILIES, COMMUNITIES AND WORKPLACES. THE HIGH LEVEL OF COMMUNITY NEED FOR THESE SERVICES IS EVIDENCED BY THE THOUSANDS OF REFUGEES AND IMMIGRANTS SERVED ANNUALLY WITH AN AVERAGE OF MORE THAN 350 STUDENTS IN CLASS ON ANY GIVEN DAY. WE PROVIDE A VARIETY OF EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED TO MEET THE NEEDS OF IMMIGRANT AND REFUGEE ADULT LEARNERS, INCLUDING CORE ENGLISH TO SPEAKERS OF OTHER LANGUAGES (ESOL) CLASSES AND SESSION-BASED CITIZENSHIP PREPARATION CLASSES, EACH TYPE WITH LEVELS RANGING FROM LITERACY TO ADVANCED AND HELD WEEKDAY MORNINGS, AFTERNOONS AND EVENINGS. WE ALSO OFFER BASIC COMPUTER CLASSES ON WEEKDAY AFTERNOONS. IN 2020, A TOTAL OF 257 ATTENDED ESOL CLASSES, 321 PREPARED FOR US CITIZENSHIP WITH 46 PASSING THE CITIZENSHIP TEST AND 4 ATTENDING COMPUTER INSTRUCTION.

SOCIAL WORK & HEALTH SERVICES: WE PROVIDE INTENSIVE SERVICES TO ELIGIBLE FOREIGN-BORN POPULATIONS EXPERIENCING COMPLEX ADJUSTMENT ISSUES AS WELL AS PRESENT A BARRIER TO ACCESSING NECESSARY SERVICES.POPULATIONS SERVED INCLUDE INDIVIDUALS EXPERIENCING CHALLENGES WITH SUCH ISSUES AS: AGING, MEDICAL, MENTAL HEALTH, CRIME (I.E. DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, HUMAN TRAFFICKING), DISABILITIES (I.E. PHYSICAL, DEVELOPMENTAL), AND FAMILY CONFLICT.PROGRAM SERVICES FOCUS ON: SCREENINGS/ASSESSMENT, CASE MANAGEMENT, INDIVIDUAL THERAPY, LIFE SKILLS AND LITERACY EDUCATION, SUPPORT, AND SOCIALIZATION.WE OFFER INDIVIDUAL, GROUP AND FAMILY-CENTERED SERVICES WITH AN EMPHASIS ON POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS, GRIEF, DEPRESSION AND OTHER RESPONSES RELATED TO MIGRATION-RELATED TRAUMA. WE ARE A MEMBER OF THE CARE ACCESS FOR NEW AMERICANS (CANA) MENTAL HEALTH REFERRAL SYSTEM FOR FOREIGN-BORN INDIVIDUALS FOUNDED BY THE ST. LOUIS MENTAL HEALTH BOARD (MHB). WE MANAGE AND SUPPORT THE EASTERN MISSOURI/SOUTHERN ILLINOIS RESCUE AND RESTORE CONSORTIUM. THE CONSORTIUM IS COLLABORATIVE OF FOUR NETWORKS, WHICH CONDUCT OUTREACH AND EDUCATION TO IDENTIFY TRAFFICKING VICTIMS. IN 2021, WE SERVED 181 NEWLY ARRIVED REFUGEES WITH HEALTH-RELATED SUPPORTIVE SERVICES.