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The Healthy Marriage Initiative (HMI)

Office of Refugee Resettlements (ORR)
Programs to Strengthen Marriages and Families:


LIRS HEALTHY FAMILY INITIATIVE IN NJ, CO and NEBRASKA
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PURPOSE: This Family Enrichment program helps strengthen marriages and family relationships within refugee communities.

In Trenton, NJ, a parenting lesson-plan is being developed. In Colorado Springs, CO, a Family Enrichment Coordinator will organize workshops based on Power of Two techniques, including dialogue and decision-making skills in relationships between parents, teachers and refugee school children. In Omaha, NE, workshops addressing financial-related conflict within families will be provided.

GRANT RECIPIENT(S): Lutheran Immigration Refugee Service (LIRS)

PROJECT PERIOD: April 8, 2004 to September 29, 2006

PROJECT FUNDING: $199,941

 

MUTUAL ASSISTANCE ASSOCIATION (MAA) INITIATIVE FOR HEALTHY
FAMILIES
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PURPOSE: The program strengthens support for refugees and their families through Mutual Assistance Association (MAA) networks.

Lao Family Community Development provides pass through funding to the following MAAs: the Cambodian MAA, which networks with organized groups including churches, temples and apartment complexes; the Slavic MAA, which networks with churches and provides training for individuals and couples to expand the MAA network; the Lao Mien MAA, which works in senior citizen centers, temples and at community events, and provides training for college interns to serve the interests of the Latino community, and the Vietnamese MAA, which provides training for new members contacted at Asian New Year celebrations.

Boat People SOS provides marriage enrichment training primarily to S.E. Asian refugees and uses PREP as its model. They currently operate sites in Orange County, CA; Louisville, KY; Raleigh, NC; Atlanta, GA; Philadelphia, PA; and St. Louis, MO.

GRANT RECIPIENT(S): Boat People SOS and Lao Family Community Development, Inc.

PROJECT PERIOD: October 1, 2003 to September 29, 2006

PROJECT FUNDING: $200,000 to each grant recipient.

 

STRENGTHENING FAMILIES IN VA, TX and NV
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PURPOSE: This program provides training to national and local staff to strengthen the marriage by promoting Family Wellness in pilot sites in Arlington, VA, Houston, TX and Las Vegas, NE.

In Arlington, VA, this program provides Family Wellness training for a National Coordinator, who in turn visits pilot sites to train local staff. In Houston, TX, the National Coordinator provides leadership and Family Wellness training to local staff, and coordinates activities with community leaders and civic and governmental agencies, including resettlement agencies, YMCAs, Catholic Charities, Houston Community College, Houston Independent School District, the Local Workforce Board, and the Office of the Mayor. In Las Vegas, NV, the National Coordinator provides technical assistance for strengthening local infrastructure to support Family Enrichment coalitions comprised of faith-based organizations. Family Enrichment workshops and training sessions are also provided.

GRANT RECIPIENT: The Ethiopian Development Council

PROJECT PERIOD: April, 2004 to September 29, 2006

PROJECT FUNDING: $200,000

 

UNITED STATES CONFERENCE OF CATHOLIC BISHOPS (USCCB)
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PURPOSE: This program helps integrate marriage and family enrichment services of the Catholic Church in America into its services for refugees and refugee families, and in so doing assists in the overall mission of the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR).

Seventeen locations have been identified for this program. Website development for information sharing, material sharing, and assistance in programmatic issues of implementation and management with USCCB sites has also been implemented. Preliminary work included conferences on human trafficking, family wellness and Power of Two training, and training for individuals from all program communities and cities.

In Nashville, TN, a Family Wellness program features a full time coordinator working with refugee youth and adult services, community wide workshops, outreach/recruitment programs and after-school programs integrating parents and youth.

In St. Paul, MN, a Family Wellness program focuses on the community of refugees from Somalia, as well as Hmong and Hispanic refugee communities. The program features network expansion, development of coalition efforts within the refugee and larger community efforts, and University integration into the research evaluation.

In Phoenix, AZ, this program serves refugee youth in schools, youth in refugee community serve centers and at the Lost Boys Center. This program also serves young women in providing education outreach and information in preparation of marriage and the difference between generational perspectives and cultural differences. Funding has also been accessed to provide cross service training with social service agency in order to further develop relationships among agencies.

In Hartford, CT, a Family Wellness program is provided to the African refugee community. Local communities and culturally appropriate parishes are identified for training to serve new arrival populations.

In Grand Rapids, MI, a Family Wellness program features collaboration with state funded programs integrating refugee family component with overarching social services perspectives. This program introduces healthy marriage curriculum to refugee communities.

In Chicago, IL, a Family Wellness program features a full time coordinator funded through the Catholic Family Life Office. The program also features a Chicagoland Marriage website with a large component of refugee programs,
and outreach to new American communities.

In Cleveland, OH, a Family Wellness program involves collaboration with
community-wide initiatives working with diverse refugee populations.
This program incorporates refugees into the larger community and brings the larger community into a national perspective.

In Indianapolis, IN, this program features integration of the Power of Two model into the asylum case management system, and includes workshops, and outreach at community events.

In St. Louis, MO, a PAIRS program provides refugee integration into larger community wide healthy marriage community initiative, and features outreach to Boat People.

In Dallas, TX, a Power of Two model program features workshops and networking for strengthened interaction with the larger community wide coalitions.

In Houston, TX, a Power of Two model program features a full time coordinator who organizes collaboration with a community-wide coalition and the iocesan Family Life Office. Power of Two training is also provided.

In Oakland, CA, Power of Two training is provided for counselors to utilize the program with families, teens and couples. The program features workshops which focus on the cultural integration of new arrivals.

In Orange, CA, this FOCUS program provides translation services for Vietnamese refugees and features representation for the refugee community into the larger community wide initiative.

In Richmond, VA, a Power of Two program trains designated individuals to work with refugee communities in Roanoke, Richmond and Hampton, VA.
Orientation for new arrivals, workshops and outreach, and involvement with the larger community coalition are also featured.

GRANT RECIPIENT(S): The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB)

PROJECT PERIOD: April 6, 2004 to September 29, 2006

PROJECT FUNDING: $1,000,000

 

STRENGTHENING REFUGEE MARRIAGES IN ORANGE COUNTY CALIFORNIA
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PURPOSE: This program helps strengthen refugee families by providing workshops in Santa Ana, Garden Grove and Anaheim, California.

This program provides customized pre-marital educational and marriage enrichment training to refugee youth, young adults and married couples. The program also trains refugee couples to act as mentors in their ethnic communities. The program is also developing resources and establishing partnerships, which will enable each site to serve as refugee marriage resource center.

GRANT RECIPIENT: Orange County, California

PROJECT PERIOD: October 1, 2003 to September 29, 2006

PROJECT FUNDING: $200,000