Newcomers to BC experience a myriad of settlement needs and challenges, particularly among refugee claimants and asylum-seeking women with limited English proficiency, education, and income.

While settlement services and social support are available in the community, refugee claimants and asylum-seeking women often find themselves isolated and encounter significant barriers when attempting to access the necessary support services.

This project aims to identify the access gaps between refugee claimants, asylum seekers, and the services available in the community. Through needs assessment and environmental scanning, we hope to bridge these gaps by providing recommendations and actionable steps.

• Conduct a needs assessment of refugee claimants and asylum-seeking women to determine their access barriers to settlement and social support services, including the delivery of online surveys and online focus groups.
• Conduct an Environmental Scan of settlement and social services available to refugee claimants and asylum-seeking women in the City of New Westminster and the City of Surrey.
• Make recommendations and action items to bridge the gaps in the needs and services available.

Students will work with our Community Navigators in the Outreach Team. Mentorships and guidance will be provided, with weekly Team Meetings and 1:1 meetings. Students will work in a team environment.

Access to Google Drive, Slack, and Zoom Device platform.

Training on PIRS Trauma-Informed Approach,