Full title: Nuevas Raices: Expanding and Enhancing Mental Health Case Management for Newcomers in Hispanic Communities
Presenter: Claudia Sarmiento, BSW, Mental Health Case Manager, Madison Community Services
Date: July 24th,2018
Summary
Funded through the Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration (MCI) - Settlement and Integration Services for Refugees and Vulnerable Newcomers, Nuevas Raices (New Roots) supports Spanish-speaking newcomers who are facing barriers and challenges related to the immigration process - barriers that affect their mental health, well-being and ability to fully participate in their new country.
Nuevas Raices extends and enhances services currently offered by Madison Community Services in two ways:
- Expanding on the Recovery during Immigration and Settlement (RISE) services by offering mental health and settlement supports to a broader range of newcomers (i.e., refugee claimants, resettled refugees, convention refuges, protected persons and other vulnerable newcomers) from Hispanic Communities in the City of Toronto;
- Acting as a bridging program with Madison’s Hispanic Program for clients who may be in need of longer-term mental health case management support. Services offered through Nuevas Raices include individual mental health case management, peer support groups, information and orientation sessions and social-recreation opportunities all aimed at recovery and social inclusion.
In addition to client services, Nuevas Raices is working to develop partnerships with other agencies to offer workshop and orientation sessions and to facilitate access to services for Spanish-speaking newcomers.
Presenter biography
Claudia Sarmiento works as a Mental Health Case Manager at Madison Community Services where she provides support to vulnerable newcomers from Hispanic communities through the New Roots/Nuevas Raices Program.
Claudia has over 10 years of experience working in the non-profit sector in a variety of settings and with diverse populations. Her experience includes working with newcomer families from various backgrounds, hard-to-serve youth and unemployed/underemployed individuals. In addition, she has experience in fundraising, workshop development and facilitation and job development.
Claudia is a Registered Social Worker (RSW) in Ontario. She graduated with a Bachelor’s of Social Work with Honours from York University and obtained a Social Service Worker (SSW) diploma from Humber College. She has a certificate in Brief Solution-Focused Therapy and Response, Recovery Workshop Design and Facilitation Training, as well as several other accreditations.
Claudia believes that a newcomer’s chance to adapt successfully to a new culture is strongly influenced by the social networks that surround them during the process of settlement. Additionally, emotional support and recovery techniques delivered by service providers, front-line workers, and case managers play significant roles in a newcomer’s hope and future.
