Services

What Do We Do?

WHAT WE DO?

Programs

• Call Centre

  Program 1

        The Call Centre provides telephonic counselling, psycho-social support and referral resources for further professional intervention and legal guidance in an effort to reconnect with family members, begin rebuilding their lives during the Refugee Resettlement Program and beyond. The telephonic counselling service open for 24 hours, provides immediate counselling, containment and referral to appropriate agencies of action and interventions.

        The Call Centre is a mechanism to link people interested in providing support to refugees by strategically connecting them to safe shelters, providing sustainable initial relief and development solutions as a stepping stone to the receiving host communities.

        The Call Centre is part of a comprehensive effort of NER to emotionally and psychologically support families fleeing from injustice, violence and conflict from Central America, Europe, Africa and elsewhere and access the much needed human rights, refugee solidarity and holistic safe resources. The Call Centre number is distributed directly to border shelters and other strategic service providers upon request.

        The Call Centre is operated by Volunteers who conduct the telephonic services in English and other major languages spoken throughout the world.

• Mental Health First Aid

  Program 2

  Is the help provided to a person developing a mental health crisis or a problem and feels overwhelmed, hopeless and helpless and unable to cope due to different emotional and physical factors. The first aid is given until appropriate professional intervention is received or until the crisis resolves. The aim of the Mental Health First Aid are to:

  • Provide help to prevent the mental health problem developing into a serious state.
  • Promote positive mind-sets, recovery of good mental health.
  • Preserve life where a person may be a danger to themselves and others.
  • Provide comfort to a person going through an emotional and psychological crisis.

  Projects are designed to empower refugees on how to recognize the tell signs of mental health problems, how to provide initial help at grassroots level and how to go about guiding a person towards appropriate professional help. This program actively engages community driven initiatives using Community Action Teams Model (CAT’s), through structured Community Support Groups, Training Carers by providing Education and Awareness including Basic Compassionate Counselling Skills.

• Refugees Support Group Program

  Program 3

  Called Mind the Gap: Diversity, Diversion and inclusion.

       A Support Group gives individuals a voice and helps them take control of their mental and emotional well-being. A support group provides a place of stability and security. A place in which one can feel respected, nurtured and cared for. Above all provides a listening and un-judgmental environment.

       A Support Group allows the sharing of pain. Knowing that someone else truly understands; by virtue of having “been there”, brings a relief that one is no longer alone with their own pain. Everyone is given the freedom to draw on the strength of the group regardless on ones, disadvantages with language challenges. We ensure translation support is available on assessment and on request.

       A Support Group provides information and referrals. When people discuss their fate, experiences and challenges, a great deal of local information, resources and education is gained. A platform to share coping tips, experiences, resilience and different methods of coping that have not only come from various literature.

       A Support Group builds a common identity. By being with others that share similar experiences, there is an immediate feeling of acceptance.  Support Groups give individuals a voice and an instant pillar of support and belonging.

• General Education Development (GED)

  Program 4

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        Technical and vocational education and training (TVET), includes in-house; informal, practical training sessions such as technological short courses. Formal or external courses, includes General Education Development (GED) programs providing nationally accredited training, diploma courses and skills development across a wide range of occupational fields including, production, services and livelihoods. The NER approach caters to youths as well as adults offering professional development, upskilling and reskilling opportunities.

      In alignment with the NER Refugee Education Strategy 2030; seeks to highlight the significance of general education as a critical role in enabling refugees to achieve a sustainable future. In addition, paying attention to green and digital skills.

       At the Global Refugee Forum (GRF) in 2023, a total of 53 pledges were made to enhance and expand refugees’ access to GED. These pledges emphasize the transition from education to meaningful employment, allowing refugees to support their families and contribute to host communities.

• Youth Empowerment Program

  Program 5

  Youth Program Support Groups, Youth Ambassadors on Crime Prevention, Youth Ambassadors against Substance Abuse.

  Youth interventions to combat substance abuse is implemented in 3 categories.

  1.     Demand reduction: Aimed at discouraging the onset of use and abuse of substances.

  ·       Achieved through prevention including skills development, public education, promoting healthy lifestyle and prevention of use or higher levels of abuse.

  ·       Early intervention, risky behavior, diversion and referral to appropriate programs including treatment.

  ·       Address values, perceptions associated with substances.

  ·       Develop personal and social skills to increase capacity for making informed and healthy choices.

  ·       Awareness of risks associated with substance abuse.

  ·       Promotion of well-being and realization of full potential.

  ·       Educating families about early warning signs and appropriate interventions

  2.     Harm reduction: A holistic treatment of users through referrals for further management and mitigating the social, psychological and mental health impact of substance abuse.

  ·       Psycho-social and medical interventions for users those affected and preparation for reintegration.

  ·       Aftercare and reintegration into families through youth support groups.

  ·       Promote group cohesion among service users.

  ·       Enable service users to abstain from substances.

  ·       Be well structured based on individual plans.

  ·       Establishment of support groups that assist the service user to maintain abstinence.

  ·       Provide access to recovered users to serve as role models (Youth Ambassadors against Substance Abuse and Youth Ambassadors on Crime Prevention).

  3.     Supply reduction: Aimed at stopping the distribution of illicit substances in the communities that we work in through raising awareness about the negative effects and impacts of substance abuse by networking, collaboration and coordination through law enforcement structures too.

• Young Adult Programs

  Program 6

  There are growing numbers of adolescents and young people who experience depression and anxiety or other mental health problems. Social and psychological risk factors include physical, emotional or sexual abuse, low self-esteem and poor self-image, family breakdown, demands of a new environment, culture or school settings. The symptoms that may arise over time as a result of these stressors can be very debilitating and even frightening for refugees.

  At NER we have set up specialized units for adolescents called Young Adult Programs. We offer a multi-disciplinary team support to adolescents and young adults at risk for mental health problems and first aid in a non-threatening environment. Teen Suicide Prevention Program is designed to empower adolescent with positive mental health outlook to assist them settle in a new environment.

• Job Placement and Work-Based Learning and Apprenticeships

  Program 7

  NER assists refugees in preparing to obtain meaningful and gainful employment depending on the person’s ability, availability of transportation, family priority and their prior acquired skills. This includes other adaptation skills acquired while in United States. NER has developed partnerships with private sector and small and medium sized enterprises which support refugee participation in GED programs that:

  ·       Are market-responsive

  ·       Offer practical experience through apprenticeships

  ·       Improve employment prospects.

  The demand for vocational education at tertiary level is driven by several global labor-market trends, including:

  ·       Rapid technological advancements.

  ·       Digitalization.

  ·       The growing emphasis on sustainable development.

  With the above pointers in mind; a strong focus on quality; NER and partners aim to:

  ·       Enhance the overall impact of educational initiatives for refugees.

  ·       Align training and skills development with industry and labor market demands.

  ·       Ensure that programs offer refugees meaningful and lasting benefits.

• Women & Children

  Program 8

  Women and Children:

  The family unit is very important. NER recognizes the importance of promoting the health development of refugee children. The good news is that, there are effective and sustainable strategies in a number of programs to provide parents with tools focusing on family health and progression; including; school programs, community programs, healthy children and adolescent support.

  Family Health and Progression is a resource for Refugee Parents that aims at making certain that, a conducive mental, emotional and behavioral development environment for their children and adolescents is created, acknowledged and practiced accordingly during the settlement phase and beyond.

  Effective family support in providing accurate information and knowledge is important as what happens in childhood can affect a person for a lifetime. The structured workshop focus on the following projects:

   

   

  Healthy Children

  Aims at encouraging children feel good holistically about themselves and their abilities. How and where parents can access community children’s healthcare needs and resources.  The understanding of how children can make friends, get along with others and cope with life’s stresses and uncertainty is crucial for total-wellbeing.

   

  School Programs

  Orientation on American education system, needs and expectations from parents and children. How to enroll children in schools and relevant support for teachers and children to do well academically and offer constructive opportunities for partnerships with parents. Healthy children are destined to do well at school, learn to follow rules, develop positive relationships with friends and schoolmates.

   

  Adolescent Support

  Raising awareness on how teenagers must develop the skills and abilities necessary to carry them into young adulthood. How the parents can assist teenagers’ establish good health habits, critical thinking and problem-solving techniques or skills and a sense of being individuals who are also connected to friends, family and the community.

   

  Mothers Support Groups

  Dealing with stressors experienced by refugee parents. How to develop and adapt parenting skills in a new diverse environment and make communication easier through learning the English language and culture. This will help with parent-child interaction, reduce children’s aggressive behavior associated with life’s frustrations, risk for substance abuse through peer pressure all aimed at helping children cope and improve academic success.

  Community Programs

  Effective community programs focus on Community Action Teams (CAT’S) that are designed to promote diversity, integration, inclusion and good mental health by encouraging community members to support each other. There are a number of strategies for refugees to resettle and a number of programs to provide parents with tools to guide healthy respond quickly when faced with new challenges. Communities offer pillars of support and a resource for parents and their families.