Kentucky Refugee Ministries

KRM is authorized by the U.S. Department of State to resettle legally admitted refugees through two national voluntary agencies: Church World Service (CWS) and Episcopal Migration Ministries, the refugee resettlement service of the Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society of The Episcopal Church. KRM is currently assisting refugees from Afghanistan, Bhutan, Burma, Cuba, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Iraq, Pakistan, Somalia, Sudan, and Syria. For FY2015, KRM projects to have 810 refugee arrivals (555 in Louisville, 255 in Lexington). Upon entering the US, refugees are given an I-94, a document that states their legal entrance into the country. Their I-94s are stamped “Refugee” and have no expiration date. KRM also assists asylees, SIVs (Special Immigrant Visa for Iraqis and Afghanis who worked for the United States), and secondary migrants (refugees that were resettled in another state and then moved to Kentucky).  

Cubans come to KRM in several ways. The official program is the Cuban-Haitian Entrant Program (CHEP). CHEP is a federal program administered by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. This program is a partnership with Church World Service. The Louisville will receive 120 individuals through this program this year. In addition, KRM projects to receive about 350 Cuban walk-in clients. These clients have made their way to Louisville (and a small number to Lexington) through family reunification, or by crossing the border in to the US by water or by land.  KRM estimates to assist a total of 500 Cubans this year. While we often refer to these Cubans as refugees, their legal status is Parolee (nothing to do with incarceration). Their I-94 is stamped “Parolee.” This gives them legal status, but they do have to apply for work authorization and adjust their status to a permanent resident after one year.  

Pre-arrival:  KRM staff communicates with EMM and CWS national staff about families slated to travel to KRM locations.  For refugee and Cuban entrants (those arriving to our airports), KRM seeks to find community co-sponsorship support for families, secures and furnishes apartments, sets up utility service, does grocery shopping and communicates with U.S. ties (family or friends) when applicable.

Post arrival: KRM staff greets every family at the airport and takes them to their new home. They do another home visit the next day after arrival and at minimum one more within the first month. Clients attend a general orientation within their first week of arrival at KRM and a family self-sufficiency plan meeting within two weeks of arrival. Caseworkers assist clients in applying for public benefits when eligible and social security cards. KRM provides comprehensive case management to help families navigate their new life in Louisville. The initial resettlement period lasts 90 days, although case management is available for up to 5 years in the country. KRM has an additional Intensive Case Management grant to assist clients with more barriers to self-sufficiency. 

KRM offers 5-day ESL classes to all adult clients. There are multiple levels of English instruction based on language proficiency, from pre-literate to advanced level. Clients are evaluated upon arrival with the BEST test model and start ESL classes immediately. We currently have approximately 180 students in our adult ESL program.

KRM offers a Cultural Orientation (CO) program to all adult clients. The program is a 3-hour class offered every Wednesday in coordination with the English as a Second Language (ESL) program. On Wednesdays, all students come to KRM in the morning and students meet by common language and instructors utilize an interpreter. ESL instructors teach curriculum from the Center for Applied Linguistics (CAL). Students then attend a combined session with guest speakers from the community. The Cultural Orientation program is a great partnership with professionals in the community that come to speak. 

The U.S. refugee resettlement program is focused on the goal of self-sufficiency for incoming refugees. The Louisville office has three full-time Job Developers who assist clients to find employment. Job developers meet with clients within two weeks of arrival to speak to them about their past employment and skills. KRM staff facilitates World of Work, a four-week job readiness program that introduces clients to the workplace in the U.S. and covers topics such as interviewing skills and taxes. In 2014, 691 jobs were secured for Louisville clients. KRM is on track with last year’s employment figures; from January 2015 - June 2015, KRM has secured 270 jobs with an average wage of $9.47/hour.

KRM has a dynamic and comprehensive youth services department. While federal funding is minimal for youth services, for many years KRM has emphasized the importance of youth services for families. Almost bi-weekly, Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) comes on-site to assist newly-arrived youth with school registration. Last year, KRM (Louisville) assisted 268 children with school enrollment. The youth services staff works daily as liaisons between the school system and refugee families.  They provide every new student with a backpack, school supplies and (if needed) school uniforms. KRM also works with families on Head Start registration, kindergarten registration, and securing daycare.  KRM’s New Beginnings Tutoring/Mentoring program matches volunteers with families with school-age children for in-home tutoring. Last year, 62 youth had tutor/mentors through this program. KRM offers a Summer Youth Program for 5 weeks each summer to bridge the gap of the school years for about 40 new arrivals. The KRM staff also works with youth on college preparation and adults with GED preparation.

KRM has a Family Center for mothers (or fathers) with children younger than school age. This program operates three days a week at Highland Baptist Church. The Family Center is set up with an ESL class, which also includes World of Work and Cultural Orientation topics. Children are cared for on-site in a daycare/preschool environment. Art therapy and microenterprise programs are offered as well. The Family Center also employs numerous former KRM clients who work as caregivers and provide invaluable cultural competency and support to newly-arrived mothers with young children. Last year, 61 adults and 79 children attended the Family Center.

KRM has a Special Medical office, currently staffed by a surgeon and a nurse, and a part-time caseworker who works on medical insurance issues. Every refugee has a Refugee Health Screening after arrival in the U.S. After these appointments, specialist appointments are scheduled. KRM staff assists clients in navigating our medical system and provide case management in dealing with medical issues. KRM staff work with prenatal care, diabetes care, surgeries, emergency room visits and more. KRM is highly reputed in the national network for having a medical case management department. KRM assists all clients with applying for Medicaid health insurance, and a nurse from Family Health Centers comes once a week to speak to clients about the healthcare system in the U.S. KRM also partners with University of Louisville, who comes on site twice a month and provides school physicals and immunizations for children and adults. 

KRM has a full-time Mental Health Coordinator who is a Clinical Social Worker. Mental health services are available to all KRM clients. Referrals are made to the Mental Health Coordinator out of the Refugee Health Screening, by other KRM staff, or by client requests. The Mental Health Coordinator provides assessments and connects clients with services in the area. Over the years, KRM has built strong relationships with therapists in the community that are culturally sensitive to the trauma that refugees have faced.  

The Services to Refugee Elders program is a county-wide program that is administered by KRM, serving both KRM clients and clients from another local refugee resettlement agency. The program is available for clients age 60 and above. It’s an optional program, but is very popular.  Refugee elders attend citizenship-focused ESL classes at the program and also participate in field trips and art therapy. For refugee elders who receive SSI income, they must receive their citizenship within 7 years after arrival or they lose the income. Elders often arrive with little English and need extra support to learn the language in order to pass the citizenship test, and so KRM matches them with mentors to study and practice English.

KRM’s immigration department has three immigration attorneys (two in Louisville, one in Lexington) and a BIA representative. The immigration department works with Cubans applying for their EADs (Employment Authorization Document), refugees and Cubans applying for their Green Cards and Citizenship applications, and refugees trying to bring family members to the U.S. The immigration department is unique in that it is KRM’s only fee-for-service program and they serve the general population. They work with refugees from KRM, refugees from other agencies, as well as the general population with marriage-based visas and more.

Refugees and Parolees are eligible to apply for their citizenship after they have been in the country for 5 years. (They can apply for their Green Card after one year).  KRM provides citizenship exam preparation courses at three locations in Louisville.  Currently, classes are Wednesdays, 6:30pm-8:30pm at Americana Community Center; Thursdays, 11-1 at Iroquois Library; and Sundays, 12:30pm-2:30pm at Crescent Hill Baptist Church.