Offices in Portland and Lewiston are closed, but services are fully operational. Greater Portland clients should call Rosine, (207) 807-7656; greater Lewiston clients, including those in Augusta, should call Fatuma, (207) 317-9109. Multilingual staff available.
Staff is providing the following in-person services:
• Weekly delivery of food and safety items to most vulnerable clients (elders and those with underlying health conditions)
• Housing supports: searching for apartments, negotiating with landlords on rent decrease/forgiveness for April, assisting newly arriving refugees with moves
• Food delivery for new arrivals prior to receiving food stamps
• Transportation to first medical appointments for refugee medical screening
Staff is providing all other services remotely, mostly utilizing WhatsApp and video conferencing.
These include:
• Social Security enrollment
• Food stamps/MaineCare/GA/TANF/RCA enrollment and re-enrollment
• Basic cultural orientation (also utilizing the app Settle In)
• Enrollment/referral for medical screening
• U.S. Healthcare orientation
• Assistance with unemployment applications
• Negotiations with landlords
• Ensuring that clients have enough phone minutes to stay in contact with community and providers (using community donations)
• Weekly voice memos on COVID-19 updates interpreted and sent through WhatsApp
Staff is also working remotely to:
• Administer the Refugee Cash and Medical Assistance, Refugee Medical Screening, Youth Mentoring Program, Refugee Supportive Services (Employment Services, Case Management, among others), Refugee School Impact Grant, Services for Older Refugees, and Health Promotion Grant.
• Monitor the sub-grantees’ services and administration of grants/contracts.
Work with statewide partners to adjust service provision in alignment with Gov. Janet Mills’ Declaration of the State Civic Emergency and Federal/State of Maine CDC recommendations.
• Lead the collaboration on the COVID-19 pandemic response among the refugee and immigrant communities with federal, state, county, and municipal government agencies, ethnic-based community organizations, and the private sector.
• Collaborate and advocate for physical and mental well-being of the refugee population in coordination with statewide healthcare providers.
Collaborate with the Public Health System and the CDC to update ORR-eligible populations on the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Leverage the Refugee Health Promotion grant to reach the maximum number of refugees with information and guidelines to stay safe and healthy, such as the translation of documents, audio, and video messages related to COVID-19.
State Refugee Coordinator, Tarlan Ahmadov: [email protected]
State Refugee Health Coordinator, Inza Ouattara: [email protected]
