Switchboard

Welcome to the Switchboard Podcast! Switchboard is a one-stop resource hub for organizations in the United States that provide services to Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR)-eligible newcomers. Switchboard offers a library of learning resources, an online evidence database, on-demand self-paced e-learning courses, regular live learning opportunities, and customized technical assistance.    This episode features a conversation hosted by Milad Mozari, Assistant Professor of Multi-Disciplinary Design at the University of Utah and long-term partner of the International Rescue Committee in Salt Lake City, UT on innovative design for resettlement. He speaks with Shafi Ahmadi and Sahar Rahimi, both former refugees from Afghanistan. Shafi has been in the U.S. for almost three years and is the current Digital Inclusion Specialist at the International Rescue Committee’s Salt Lake City’s Education Program. Sahar is a newly arrived client with Catholic Community Services in Salt Lake City, UT. Both guests provide their personal stories from their own resettlement journeys and reflect on the role and use of technology. In this episode, Shafi and Sahar will discuss the specific technology they accessed and found helpful while traveling and during resettlement. They also discuss how their experiences have shaped digital inclusion services for other new arrivals in Salt Lake City, Utah.  This episode is part of a new series entitled “The Role of Technology in Resettlement” which will include standalone episodes highlighting key topics including digital inclusion, community navigation, and the use of emerging technology in resettlement. All episodes will interview experts to solicit insights and new practices from a variety of industries, backgrounds, and experiences.  

Welcome to the Switchboard Podcast. Switchboard is a one-stop resource hub for refugee service providers in the United States, funded by the Office of Refugee Resettlement. We provide resources, training, communities of practice, and programmatic assistance for programs funded by the ORR.This episode features a conversation with Nao Kabashima, co-founder and Executive Director of Karen Organization of San Diego (KOSD), a community based organization serving refugees from Burma resettled in San Diego. In this episode, we discuss how Nao has navigated leading this ethnic community base organization. KOSD is an organization that has been providing services to the resettlement community for 15 years, starting with just $400. They have adapted to the changing climate and political situations by taking a collaborative approach, listening to the needs of their community and finding solutions that work for everyone. 

Welcome to the Switchboard Podcast. Switchboard is a one-stop resource hub for refugee service providers in the United States, funded by the Office of Refugee Resettlement. We provide resources, training, communities of practice, and programmatic assistance for programs funded by the ORR.This episode features a conversation with Carissa Chantiles and Abby Davies from InReach. InReach is the world’s first tech platform matching LGBTQ+ people facing discrimination and persecution with safe, verified resources. They have a variety of resources dedicated to LGBTQ+ newcomers, asylees, and refugees. In this episode, we discuss ways to support LGBTQ+ newcomers, expand the landscape of services for the community, and share tips on how service providers can become more inclusive in their day-to-day work. 

Welcome to the Switchboard Podcast. Switchboard is a one-stop resource hub for refugee service providers in the United States, funded by the Office of Refugee Resettlement. We provide resources, training, communities of practice, and programmatic assistance for programs funded by the ORR.This episode features a conversation with Megan Rafferty, Switchboard's training officer with a focus on mental health and wellness, and Selina Máté, Switchboard's digital content manager with a background in case management. We discuss ways to support newcomers with a trauma-informed lens.

Welcome to the Switchboard Podcast. Switchboard is a one-stop resource hub for refugee service providers in the United States, funded by the Office of Refugee Resettlement. We provide resources, trainings, communities of practice, and programmatic assistance for programs funded by the ORR.This episode features a conversation with Rob Callus and Madina Masumi, two of Switchboard's training officers. We discuss ways to support newcomer youth in schools, how schools can become welcoming spaces, and share stories of previous obstacles and triumphs while working with newcomer youth. 

Welcome to the Switchboard Podcast. Switchboard is a one-stop resource hub for refugee service providers in the United States, funded by the Office of Refugee Resettlement. We provide resources, trainings, communities of practice, and programmatic assistance for programs funded by the ORR.This episode features a conversation with Meg Gibbon, Switchboard’s program director, about the services that we provide and how ORR-funded programs can rely on Switchboard as their hub.

This two-part podcast series features a conversation between Rishan Habte, Program Officer for Economic Empowerment at Switchboard and Khalid Ahmadzai, Director of Economic Advancement at Canopy Northwest Arkansas. In this episode, they discuss microlending; how participants are selected for the Canopy Northwest entrepreneurship program; success stories; and more!

This two-part podcast series features a conversation between Rishan Habte, Program Officer for Economic Empowerment at Switchboard and Khalid Ahmadzai, Director of Economic Advancement at Canopy Northwest Arkansas. Khalid shares his story of growing up in Kabul, Afghanistan; his own experiences of entrepreneurship; and how he created the existing microlending entrepreneurship program at Canopy.

This episode features host Kay Bellor interviewing Henny Ohr, Founder and Executive Director, Ethnic Minorities of Burma Advocacy and Resource Center (EMBARC) Iowa. They discuss the challenges experienced by EMBARC during the COVID-19 pandemic including providing essential services to clients while protecting staff and how the refugee resettlement program can be improved moving forward. This episode is part three in a new series on Leading During a Transition.

This episode features host Kay Bellor interviewing Dr. Hayder Allkenhfr, Refugee Health Coordinator at the Utah Department of Health. They discuss the COVID-19 pandemic and strategies used by Dr. Allkenhr and his team to build robust testing infrastructure, equitable access to vaccines, and effective communication approaches. This episode is part two in a new series on Leading During a Transition.

This episode features host Kay Bellor interviewing Hans Van de Weerd, Vice President of Resettlement, Asylum, and Integration at the International Rescue Committee. They discuss challenges of the past few years including the dramatic reduction of the U.S. resettlement program, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the continuing reality of racial disparities. This episode is part one in a new series on Leading During a Transition.

In this episode of the Switchboard podcast, Kristen Guskovict, Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Founder of Heart of Aid Work, and Aprile Andelle, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, discuss the importance of self-care for refugee service providers and respond to questions submitted by listeners. They offer advice for those living alone during the pandemic, tips on staying physically active, and how to support clients while also taking care of oneself. This podcast is part two in a three-part series on Staff Self-Care.

In this episode of the Switchboard podcast, Kristen Guskovict, Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Founder of Heart of Aid Work, and Aprile Andelle, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, discuss the importance of self-care for refugee service providers and respond to questions submitted by listeners. They offer advice for those living alone during the pandemic, tips on staying physically active, and how to support clients while also taking care of oneself. This podcast is part two in a three-part series on Staff Self-Care.

Are you experiencing increased stress, worry, or burnout during the COVID-19 pandemic? Stream Switchboard's latest podcast, where Kristen Guskovict, Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Founder of Heart of Aid Work, and Minal Giri, Medical Director of Melrose Park Pediatrics, share how they are feeling during the current situation. They discuss the challenges of connecting with people virtually; how different professional and personal realities directly impact one's experience of lockdown; and coping mechanisms for those struggling to process their emotions. This podcast is part one in a three-part series on Staff Self-Care.

Is your program seeking to increase enrollment among special immigrant visa (SIV) holders, asylees, and other ORR-eligible populations? Stream Switchboard's latest podcast, where Erica Bouris, Senior Technical Advisor for Economic Empowerment at the IRC, discusses ways to boost program enrollment among ORR-eligible clients you may not currently be reaching. She shares her thoughts on developing an outreach strategy that reaches more diverse client groups; describing your program to prospective clients, partners, and funders in language that doesn't focus exclusively on serving refugees; and leveraging your existing program data as you work to reach these new audiences.

This Switchboard podcast spotlights Augustin Ntabaganyimana, Executive Deputy Director at the Maryland Department of Human Services. Listen to Augustin share his story about his early life in Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, arriving as a refugee in the United States, and his road to becoming a State Refugee Coordinator.

Stream Switchboard’s latest podcast, where Kelsey Chippeaux of the IRC in Silver Spring discusses the process of developing a gender analysis plan for a TANF employment program. She shares challenges, successes, and lessons learned as a recent graduate of Switchboard's online certificate course Introduction to Gender Equality in Service Programs.

In this podcast, Switchboard Program Officer Margaret Gibbon is joined by Dr. Miriam Potocky, Author and Professor of Social Work at Florida International University, and Kristen Guscovict, Founder of HEART of Aid Work. They discuss motivational interviewing, an evidence-based intervention that can be used in refugee case management programs, and provide examples of how it can be implemented.

In this podcast, Switchboard Director Jason Crislip and Program Officer Margaret Gibbon have a 7-minute discussion about how Switchboard’s national needs assessment survey is informing Switchboard’s work in FY19. To read the full needs assessment report, visit www.switchboardta.org/Resources.