1/31/2011
Today was my first day at the International Institute of Buffalo. I was supposed to meet with the volunteer coordinator, but she was home sick. Therefore, I worked in one of the ESL classes, assisting clients in learning English; specifically, past participles. In this situation, I could really see how the fundamental skills taught in Introductory English classes are very useful not only for myself, but in helping others try and grasp concepts in the English language.
2/2/2011
Today I went through logs of interpretation services to make sure that all the hours recorded were correct, in addition to the pay rate. I then highlighted services that were used under 2 hours so the pay could be adjusted. I also redecorated the hall in the Refugee Resettlement department, so that it was more organized and athstetically pleasing. After, I cleaned and organized the Carriage House behind the Institute where all of the donations are kept.
2/7/2011
Today I met with my supervisor, the Lead Refugee Case Manager and reviewed volunteer procedures and case files; to become familiar with the paperwork, time lines, etc. I also reviewed the PowerPoint’s shown to clients in cultural orientation class. I thought these PowerPoint’s were great, because it has been discussed in some of my diverse religion classes how important it is to understand the fact that these people are coming from cultures much different than our own, and how it is essential to be empathetic and understanding of that in an effort to help them successfully integrate into American society. After, I took a couple clients to an appointment for a Psychological Evaluation, due to the traumas that they experienced in their homeland. Lastly, I took a client from the Match Grant Program (helps refugees get to work immediately) to the bank to cash some checks, and open up a checking account.
2/9/2011
Today I took a client to the Ross Eye Institute to get new glasses, and also dropped off paperwork there for another client who is disabled and was in the process of applying for SSI. In my American History class we briefly discussed the origins of SSI along with the requirements, but it was very interesting to see all the documentation that actually is needed for the application- it’s a very long and detailed process. Additionally, I called several physicians offices to find out whether or not they participated in managed care plans for clients at the Institute to pre-enroll in for after their 8 months of Medicaid is done.
2/14/2011
Today I took a client to the Social Security Administration Office to Apply for SSI. It was very interesting working with her because she was blind and suffered from Bipolar disorder. In Abnormal Psychology, we learned about how bipolar individual’s can engage in certain behaviors, and it was fascinating to observe the particular behaviors she was engaging in herself.
2/16/2011
Today I took a client to Social Services to get Medicaid cards for his family since they had not received them yet. I also took him to apply for HEAP (Home Energy Assistance Program). Today, I also began working with another case manager who needed some additional assistance due to a recent influx of clients. I also worked on various administrative tasks in the
office.
2/22/11
Today I took a family to a health clinic for their general health physicals with their primary care physician. I taught the family how to ride the bus to the clinic, how to sign in and register at the clinic, and how to take the bus home. I feel as though everyone has had that assignment once in college where the professor says simplify everything so it’s as though I have no idea what your talking about when I begin reading your paper but know what your talking about at the end. Well, that assignment definitely helped today. It’s very challenging communicating with people who cannot understand what you are saying. Therefore, you have to become creative and use hand gestures, etc. so that they do. Essentially, you have to not only help them do the task at hand, but you have to make sure that they actually retain the information for the next time.
2/23/2011
Today I showed two clients how to take the bus to their doctor from their home. I also showed them how to make an appointment once we were there. However, we were almost 45 minutes late to the appointment due to various factors. So I explained the importance of being on time since the doctor has a strict schedule, and to allow extra time for taking the bus since unexpected delays can occur. Then I proceeded to another clients home to show them how to get to the grocery store and the Laundromat, but my case manager inadvertently wrote down the wrong address. Therefore, I returned to the Institute where I worked on various administrative tasks.
2/28/2011
Today I spent the day at the Institute working closely with the Lead Refugee Case Manager. While I was there, I assisted her in a variety of administrative tasks. These tasks included preparing newly arrived clients files for their initial 14 day review, making copies/packets for incoming refugees, and shredding. Preparing the files for the 14 day review was very informative, since I have heard about many of these forms in one class or another. However, I was able to become more acquainted with the specifics of what each form meant. This was particularly in terms of learning about the Social Services Application, since it provides the refugees with services such as Food Stamps and Medicaid.
3/2/2011
Today I went to the grocery store, to go shopping for a family that was arriving from Burma. I picked up one of their relatives who helped me to shop since she was acquainted with the foods that they eat. From the grocery store, we proceeded to the apartment to set up their furniture and various other furnishings. We also brought the food in to put in the
refrigerator, which was broken. Therefore, I brought the perishable food back to the Institute so it wouldn’t spoil.
3/7/2011
Today I did various administrative tasks, such as preparing case files for their 14 day reviews, copying, and shredding. I also packed furnishings from the Carriage House for a family and then proceeded to their apartment to set it up with another intern before they arrived. I was glad I was able to prep files for the 14 day reviews again, as it helped me to become better acquainted with other forms such as ESL and Employment referrals.
3/9/2011
Today I took a Bhutanese family to the Social Security Administration, as they are in the process of applying for social security cards and various benefits as refugees. After I dropped them off at their home, I returned to the Institute. My case manager then asked me to meet up with another intern; since she needed oversea medical records to give to the clients she was with for their doctor’s appointment. I then returned to the Institute again, and prepared documents for arriving refugees.
3/14/2011
Today I picked up a family and showed them how to take the bus to and from the International Institute of Buffalo. Upon arriving at the Institute, I helped the adults register ESL classes that were set to begin later that week. I also spent time talking to their teenage children, who stated that they would be starting school soon. I was very happy to hear that they were starting school around the same time their parents began ESL classes, since it is important that they have a somewhat constant pace of acculturation. Recently for a class, I read a research article on how acculturating at different rates can be a great source of both familial and marital stress- which would not be good at all. After I showed the clients how to take the bus home, I showed them how to walk to the Salvation Army so they could buy new clothes when the weather became warmer.
3/16/2011
Today I went to two different clients home’s since they were in very close proximity to one another. However, I went to both homes and waited for over an hour and there was no answer at wither. This was frustrating, because the case manager had to get another interpreter to call the clients to reschedule their appointment. I was supposed to show them how to get to the grocery store on the bus, and how to use their food stamp card. I returned to the Institute and assisted that case manager in a variety of tasks, including getting cases ready for their 90 day review and closing, and faxing forms to physicians.
3/21/2011
The Lead Case Manager was on vacation, so I worked with one of the other case managers. Today I stayed at the Institute and prepped folders with all of the essential paperwork for five children to attend Buffalo Public School. I also made appointments for the same family to go to the physician to get their immunizations updated- many of which the children needed in order to attend school. Last semester in my Health Psychology class, we discussed the debate of immunizing children. Living in the United States, you really don’t think twice about Immunizations, they are something that prevent you from getting sick and are readily available, yet there are people here who do not take advantage of them. However, for many of these children growing up in Refugee Camps, they don’t even receive their initial immunizations until they undergo their overseas medical examination before they come to the United States as a refugee. This really made me wonder how many refugee children don’t make it to the United States because they had inadequate access to necessary immunizations.
3/22/2011
Since it is Spring Break, I decided to come in extra time this week. Today I went to a client’s home, and was supposed to show them how to take the bus to the High School they would be attending. However, when I arrived at the home, a family member informed me that the client was already at school and had been taken there by a friend. I explained to the family member that a volunteer was supposed to show the client how to take the quickest and shortest route to school. I left directions with the relative and verbalized the route to school. Then I returned to the Institute, where I helped to revise presentations for the mandatory cultural orientation.
3/23/2011
Today, I went to bring curtains to hang in the apartments of two clients- one of whom was not home. I was supposed to take a client to the bank to cash a check, but when I went to get him from ESL class, the teacher had told me that he had not been there in a while. I then returned to the Institute and worked on various administrative tasks. Then one of the case managers asked me to pick up a client from home to take to the Erie County Department of Health Clinic for TB Sputum. I thought that it was very interesting to see the high rate of clients that needed to go get extensive TB testing done. While many of them didn’t actually have the virus themselves, they were exposed to the virus and had the antibodies present for it, something I remember discussing in one of my Biology classes. After I dropped the client off at home, I returned to the home of the client that was not there in the morning to hang curtains. They were home, but unfortunately, the curtains were not the correct size, so I told the clients that another volunteer would return with the appropriate size.
3/24/2011
Today, I assisted the case manager in a variety of administrative tasks such as copying, shredding, and prepping files for 30 day reviews. I then went to a client’s home to take them to the Social Security Administration for a replacement Social Security Card and to get their SSI form signed. However, the client’s were not home. I then returned to the clients from yesterday’s home to hang curtains, but there were not their either. I then returned to the Institute and prepped directions for other volunteer assignments throughout the week. I also did the 90 checklist and core service checklist for upcoming closing cases. This was very useful, as I learned about all of the things that the Institute does to help their clients within the first 90 days of the arrival. One thing that I found particularly interesting was that 18-25 year old males had to register for selective service. I didn’t expect them to be omitted, but I didn’t realize that you did not have to be a citizen to enroll in selective service; you only have to a permanent resident. I just thought that it was very interesting considering that the main reason most of these people fled their countries was genocide. Therefore, they associate war as being attacked by their own country to a certain extent, which I’m sure, evoked a certain sense of fear and anxiety in the Refugees who
actually understood what they were signing.
3/28/2011
Today I took clients to the Social Security Administration. I had to have a deaf client affirm his identity. This was very challenging because he was intellectually disabled as well. After working with him for a while, I was able to pick up on cues he could understand so I was able to get him to sign the affirmation. Another client had to get a replacement Social Security card. I then proceeded back to the International Institute of Buffalo, to work on 90 case reports and core services
performed checklists. Additionally, I opened the mail.
3/30/2011
Today I showed a client how to take the bus from his apartment to his appointment for a Mental Health Evaluation. The client came from an Eastern Region of the world, and has suffered from Anxiety disorder and PTSD for an extended period of time. Since his arrival in the United States, he has not received any form of Therapy, and his prior treatment has been medication exclusively. I then brought the client back to the Institute, so another intern could show him how to pay rent. I then went to the grocery store, to buy food for a client arriving tonight. I then went to the client’s home and unpacked the food, and returned to the Institute to give the apartment keys to the case manager.
4/4/2011
Today I worked on various administrative tasks within the office. I also worked on cleaning and organizing the bedding section of the Carriage House. The Lead Case Manager then invited me to attend a case closing meeting with her for a family that I had worked with. Normally, the Institute closes cases after 90 days, but kept this case open for 120 days. This was because the mother was blind and suffered from mental illness, the one son was deaf and intellectually disabled, and the youngest son had to act as the primary caretaker for both his mother and brother. It was really great to get to sit in on the
meeting because I was able to see what a long way this family has come since arriving in the United States!
4/6/2011
Today I took 7 clients downtown to apply for HEAP (Home Energy Assistance Program). Surprisingly, it only took 5 minutes for all of them to apply which was great! I then returned with them to the Institute, and then took one of them to the doctors to get a refill on his Anxiety medication. Originally, I would never have guessed that this client had anxiety disorder, but after I found out about his diagnosis I was not entirely surprised. I thought back to Abnormal Psychology, and thought the main symptom that he presented with was excessive worrying. However, this can be very difficult to
identify in refugees since their symptoms can be attributed to the significant changes going on in their lives.
4/11/2011
Today I went through archived Match Grant client case files and analyzed how the Match Grant funds were dispersed to the clients. My case manager was hoping to use this information to figure out whether or not it would be feasible to give more money to clients who show a need for financial support. This is because some clients, especially ones from larger cases have access to more sources of money in comparison to small families or single people.
4/13/2011
Today I took three clients to get Benefit cards at Social Services, which sent us back and forth between two buildings before a case manager intervened. I then took the client’s home. Then I proceeded to another family’s home and showed them how to take the bus downtown to an appointment they had at Social Services. As soon as I walked in the door, their 4 year old son ran up to me and gave me a hug- which was interesting since I had never met him before. He and his sister proceeded to show off their superb hula hooping skills for a good ten minutes while their parents were getting ready to go. I then showed them how to get to and from their appointment on the bus.
4/18/2011
Today I pack up apartment furnishings and household goods for a family arriving in early May. Then I worked on updating general information forms in the client’s binders. After, I began filling out applications for the Department of Social Services, ESL classes, Employment Services, and Health Intake Forms. That way, these forms would be prepped and available for the family at their Initial Intake Assessment, which occurs within 5 days of their arrival.
4/20/2011
Today I worked on completing 90 day core services checklists and 90 day reports for clients who arrived in January, February, and March of 2011. I was able to complete most of the information, except for the Resettle and Placement (R&P) Funds for some of the families, since their 90 days was not over and their final pay-outs had not been made. Many of the cases I worked on were on the smaller side, and were clients that I have worked with since they arrived. It was really great to see everything that they have done and many of them have come a very long way. Most of them are doing a great job of both assimilating into American culture, yet maintaining a strong sense of cultural identity. In psychology, we often talk about how support is imperative in times of stress, change, and transition; and it is truly amazing to see how welcoming these community members are to newly arrived refugees and how they really take them under their wing and offer them a great deal of guidance.
4/27/2011
Today I worked on shredding, sorting mail, and doing 90 day cores service reports for a few clients. Additionally, I compiled a spreadsheet that I sent to the Department of Social Services regarding closed cases at the Institute, since we
continue to receive old client’s mail at least once a week.
5/2/2011
Today I took a mother and daughter to Harvest House for clothes. I wouldn’t say that the daughter was experiencing neglect by any means, but she was wearing the same outfits a lot, and her clothes were too small. At Harvest House she was able to get four new outfits, toys, books, and a new pair of shoes. She was really excited! I then dropped the client’s off at their apartment, and when I returned to the Institute I worked on core service checklists. I also set up some medical appointments for a few clients.
5/4/2011
Today was my last day at the Institute. I went to an apartment to set up for clients arriving the next day. When I got there, there had to be at least 10 refugees from the Institute helping to move furniture in for this family which was great! They helped me to set up the furnishings in the apartment as well which was really nice. After I was done, I returned to the Institute and the Lead Case Manager gave me a card and said goodbye. Working at the Institute has definitely had its challenges at times, but I have really enjoyed the experience and have learned so much. It allowed me to tie in knowledge that I have gained across all disciplines during college, and I learned so much new information as well.
