Social Work with Immigrants and Refugees

Fernando Chang-Muy, MA, JD, is the Thomas O'Boyle Lecturer in Law at the University of Pennsylvania Carey School of Law, with appointments at the Graduate School of Social Policy and Practice and the School of Arts and Sciences. His courses and areas of expertise include international human rights, US immigration policies, international refugee law, the impact of race in diverse communities, and nonprofit leadership issues. He served as Legal Officer with both the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the UN World Health Organization (WHO), AIDS Program. He also served as the first director of Swarthmore College's Intercultural Center, as well as Assistant Dean for Student Affairs, advisor to the Provost on Equal Opportunity, and lecturer on International Human Rights in the Peace and Conflict Studies. He began his legal career as a Reginald Heber Smith Fellow at Community Legal Services in Philadelphia serving as Director of the Southeast Asian Refugee Project, providing free legal aid to low-income immigrants and refugees in Philadelphia. Elaine Congress, DSW, MSW, is Professor and Associate Dean at the Fordham University Graduate School of Social Service. At the United Nations she represents three NGOs (Non-government Organizations), the International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW), the Institute of Multicultural Counseling and Education Services (IMCES), and Fordham University. Each year she oversees a group of Fordham graduate students at the United Nations. Dr. Congress is also a member of the executive committee of the NGO Committee on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, is Vice-chair of the NGO Committee on Mental Health and is active on the NGO Committee on Migration and the Committee on the Status of Women. She has served as the North American representative on the IFSW's Permanent Committee on Ethical Issues.

Contents
Contributors


Foreword Diane Drachman


Foreword Frank Sharry


Preface


Acknowledgments


PART I: OVERVIEW


1. Introduction: Legal and Social Work Issues With Immigrants


Elaine P. Congress


Current Issues in U.S. Immigration


Reasons for Migration


History of Immigration in the United States


Implications for Social Work Practice and Education


2. Legal Classifications of Immigrants


Fernando Chang-Muy


Entering the United States Temporarily as a Nonimmigrant


Entering or Remaining in the United States Permanently


Exclusion From Entering the United States


Deportation After Entering the United States


U.S. Citizenship


Case Studies


PART II: IMMIGRATION AND SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE


3. Culturally Competent Social Work Practice With Immigrant Populations


Carmen Ortiz Hendricks & Elaine P. Congress


Immigration Patterns in the United States


Defining Culturally Competent Social Work Practice


Cultural Competency in Agency Practice


Recommendations for Successful CCSWP With Immigrant Populations


Case Studies


4. Theory and Social Work Practice With Immigrant Populations


Betty Garcia


The Role of Theory and Concepts in Guiding Practice


Conceptual and Theoretical Resources for Practice With Immigrant Populations


Empowerment Theory


Cultural Competence


Strength-Based Practice


Ecosystems Theory


Family Systems Theory


Oppression Concepts


Practitioner Self-Awareness


Conclusions


Case Studies


5. Social Work and Physical Health Issues of Immigrants


Sarah Blair Smith


Federal Legislation Affecting Immigrant Health Care


Health Care Available for Immigrants


Barriers to Health Care for Immigrants


Immigration and Public Health Issues


Special Populations


Implications for Social Work Practice


Case Studies


6. Mental Health Issues in Immigrant Communities


Denise Ziya Berte


Cultural Definitions of Mental Health


Resiliency in Immigrant Populations


Phases of Immigrant Adjustment


Immigrants and Trauma


Psychosocial Assessment of New Immigrant Individuals


Individual Intervention Strategies With New Immigrants


Culturally Competent Mental Health Services


Family or Community Intervention


Immigrant Children and Mental Health


Case Study


7. Crimes and Immigration: Civil Advocacy for Noncitizens at the Intersection of Criminal and Immigration Law


Abel Rodríguez


8. Immigrants and Employment


Marielena Hincapié, Susan Lopez, & Joshua Stehlik


An Overview of Immigrant Workers and Their Contributions


Contributions of Immigrant Workers


Are Immigrant Workers Protected by U.S. Laws?


What Barriers Prevent Immigrant Workers From Exercising Their Workplace Rights?


Conclusions


Case Studies


PART III: CHILDREN AND FAMILY ISSUES


9. Immigrant Children and Education


Len Rieser


Expectations Concerning School and Education


Education Law and Policy in the United States


Types of Schools


Roles and Responsibilities of Parents


Language Access


School Age


Enrollment and School Placement


Course Placement and Instruction


Student Rights in School


School Records and the Right to Information


Parental Involvement in School Activities


Higher Education


Conclusions


Case Study


10. Women, Gender-Based Violence, and Immigration


Sujata Warrier & Jennifer Rose


Violence Against Women in Immigrant and Refugee Communities


Dynamics, Risk Factors, and Consequences of Violence Against Immigrant Women


Implications for Social Workers and Social Service Agencies


Case Studies


11. Working With Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Immigrants


Rachel B. Tiven & Victoria Neilson (Updated by Aaron C. Morris)


Historical Background


Immigration Based on Family Reunification


Immigration Based on Political Asylum


Special Issues Relating to Transgender Immigrants


Challenges Facing LGBT Newcomers


Challenges Facing the Practitioner in a Social Service Setting


Recommendations for Working With Transgender Clients


Case Studies


12. Older Adult Immigrants in the United States: Issues and Services


Patricia Brownell, Robin Creswick Fenley, & Jung H. Kim


Sociodemographics of Older Adult Immigrants in the United States


Socioeconomic Characteristics of Older Adult Immigrants in the United States


Issues Related to Older Adult Immigrants in the United States


Special Elderly Immigrant Populations


Assessment Instruments for Older Adult Immigrants and Mental Health


Interventions for Older Adult Immigrants in the United States


Conclusions


Case Studies


PART IV: IMMIGRATION POLICY


13. Overview of Immigrant Eligibility for Federal Programs


Avideh Moussavian


Restrictions on Immigrant Eligibility for Benefits


Beyond Eligibility: Overview of Barriers That Impede Access to Benefits for Immigrants


Developing a Longer Term Strategy for Change


14. Social Workers and Immigrant Advocacy


Jasmeet Kaur Sidhu


The Importance of Immigrant Advocacy


Individual Advocacy for Immigrant Clients


Macro Advocacy for Social Change


Creating an Effective Advocacy Strategy


Planning an Effective Advocacy Campaign


Types of Advocacy Organizations


Partisan Election-Related Activities


Lobbying


Conclusions


Case Studies


Immigrant Advocacy Success Stories


Epilogue


Elaine P. Congress and Fernando Chang-Muy


Globalization


Climate Change


Technology


Immigration Policy


Appendix A


Appendix B


Appendix C


Appendix D


Index