Studies
This library hosts materials developed by Switchboard and by former Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR)-funded technical assistance (TA) providers (most in fiscal years 2016-2018, with selected earlier materials). This library links materials externally where: their formats were incompatible with internal hosting; they were developed by current ORR-funded TA providers; or they were developed by non-ORR funded authors who granted permission for the links.
Author Definitions
Free Full TextCultural Competence Dimensions and Outcomes: A Systematic Review of the Literature
Publication Year: 2016
Outcome(s): Cultural Competence
Intervention(s): Cultural Competence Training
Relevant ORR Program(s): Children's Services, Ethnic Community Self-Help Program, Medical Screening, Preferred Communities, Refugee Health Promotion
Direction of Evidence: Inconclusive or mixed impact
Strength of Evidence: Strong
Type of Study: Systematic review
It has been widely suggested that cultural competence is an individual’s core requirement for working effectively with culturally diverse people. However, there is no consensus regarding the definition or the components of this concept and there is a dearth of empirical proof indicating the benefits of cultural competence. Therefore, a systematic review was conducted to …
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Free Full TextA Bosnian Refugee Community’s Hidden Capacity in Preparation for a Natural Disaster in the United States
Publication Year: 2016
Outcome(s): Emergency Preparedness
Intervention(s): Disaster and emergency preparedness services
Relevant ORR Program(s): Ethnic Community Self-Help Program, Preferred Communities, Refugee Health Promotion
Direction of Evidence: No evidence about impact
Strength of Evidence: Suggestive
Type of Study: Suggestive evidence
The aim of this study was to map out the internationally resettled Bosnian community’s current capacity to overcome a natural disaster and identify the strengths and limitations for future community capacity building to increase disaster resilience. Thirty-three Bosnian refugees were interviewed to identify their community’s capacity to respond to and recover from a natural disaster, …
Free Full TextBest Practice Guidelines Engaging with Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) Communities in Times of Disaster
Publication Year: 2012
Outcome(s): Emergency Preparedness
Intervention(s): Disaster and emergency preparedness services
Relevant ORR Program(s): Ethnic Community Self-Help Program, Preferred Communities, Refugee Health Promotion
Direction of Evidence: No evidence about impact
Strength of Evidence: Suggestive
Type of Study: Suggestive evidence
Through a literature review and key informant analysis following the 2011 Canterbury earthquakes, the findings uphold the value of plain English in oral and written form, of easy-to-read text, and of the use of interpreters and translated resources. Most critically, they also highlight the enormous value of culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) agency connectedness and …
Free Full TextIntegrating Immigrant Families in Emergency Response, Relief, and Rebuilding Efforts
Publication Year: 2008
Outcome(s): Emergency Preparedness
Intervention(s): Disaster and emergency preparedness services
Relevant ORR Program(s): Ethnic Community Self-Help Program, Preferred Communities, Refugee Health Promotion
Direction of Evidence: Positive impact
Strength of Evidence: Suggestive
Type of Study: Suggestive evidence
This report offers a framework for how local governments can incorporate limited english proficiency (LEP) residents and immigrants into the emergency planning process, increase their preparedness, and develop capacity in key public agencies to communicate with and serve these residents.
Free Full TextPandemic Influenza Preparedness and Response Among Immigrants and Refugees
Publication Year: 2009
Outcome(s): Emergency Preparedness
Intervention(s): None Tested
Relevant ORR Program(s): Ethnic Community Self-Help Program, Preferred Communities, Refugee Health Promotion
Direction of Evidence: No evidence about impact
Strength of Evidence: Suggestive
Type of Study: Suggestive evidence
Some immigrants and refugees might be more vulnerable than other groups to pandemic influenza because of preexisting health and social disparities, migration history, and living conditions in the United States. Vulnerable populations and their service providers need information to overcome limited resources, inaccessible health services, limited English proficiency and foreign language barriers, cross-cultural misunderstanding, and …
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Free Full TextStigma, Health Disparities, and the 2009 H1N1 Influenza Pandemic: How to Protect Latino Farmworkers in Future Health Emergencies
Publication Year: 2010
Outcome(s): Emergency Preparedness
Intervention(s): None Tested
Relevant ORR Program(s): Ethnic Community Self-Help Program, Preferred Communities, Refugee Health Promotion
Direction of Evidence: No evidence about impact
Strength of Evidence: Suggestive
Type of Study: Suggestive evidence
At the outset of the 2009 H1N1 influenza (“swine flu”) pandemic, Mexican nationals and Mexican commodities were shunned globally, and, in the United States, some media personalities characterized Mexican immigrants as disease vectors who were a danger to the country. The authors investigated instances in the U.S. of stigmatization of Latino migrant and seasonal farmworkers …
Free Full TextFilling the Gaps: Inequitable Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Relief Policies Serving Immigrant and Refugee Communities
Publication Year: 2017
Outcome(s): Emergency Preparedness
Intervention(s): None Tested
Relevant ORR Program(s): Ethnic Community Self-Help Program, Preferred Communities, Refugee Health Promotion
Direction of Evidence: No evidence about impact
Strength of Evidence: Suggestive
Type of Study: Suggestive evidence
As the policy intern at OneAmerica, Washington State’s largest immigrant and refugee advocacy organization, the author was charged with researching how natural disasters had been impacting low-English proficient (LEP) immigrants and refugees in rural Eastern and Central Washington. She researched how previous natural disasters had impacted diverse communities across the United States, finding several trends …
Paid Full TextYoung People from Refugee Backgrounds as a Resource for Disaster Risk Reduction
Publication Year: 2015
Outcome(s): Emergency Preparedness
Intervention(s): None Tested
Relevant ORR Program(s): Ethnic Community Self-Help Program, Preferred Communities, Refugee Health Promotion
Direction of Evidence: No evidence about impact
Strength of Evidence: Suggestive
Type of Study: Suggestive evidence
Young people from refugee backgrounds represent an important resource for disaster risk reduction within their respective communities. This paper presents a qualitative study with young people from refugee backgrounds and their experiences of the 2010 2011 Canterbury earthquakes in New Zealand. The interviews and focus group discussions with these participants highlighted their capacities as cultural …
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Free Full TextThe Canterbury Earthquakes and Refugee Communities
Publication Year: 2013
Outcome(s): Emergency Preparedness
Intervention(s): None Tested
Relevant ORR Program(s): Ethnic Community Self-Help Program, Preferred Communities, Refugee Health Promotion
Direction of Evidence: No evidence about impact
Strength of Evidence: Suggestive
Type of Study: Suggestive evidence
The Canterbury earthquakes and subsequent aftershocks have presented a number of challenges for resettled refugee communities living in this region. These events highlight the need to recognise the diversity within culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) populations for effective disaster preparedness and response initiatives. This paper presents a pilot study of focus groups conducted with the …
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Paid Full TextGlobal Learning Experiences During a Domestic Community Health Clinical
Publication Year: 2011
Outcome(s): Emergency Preparedness
Intervention(s): None Tested
Relevant ORR Program(s): Ethnic Community Self-Help Program, Preferred Communities, Refugee Health Promotion
Direction of Evidence: No evidence about impact
Strength of Evidence: Suggestive
Type of Study: Suggestive evidence
Increasing globalization calls for undergraduate nursing programs to develop opportunities for students to participate in study-abroad activities. For some students, the cost of such activities can prohibit participation. The influx of refugees to the United States provides an alternative opportunity for students to think and act globally without the cost of travel. This article discusses …
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