COMMUNITY CONSULTATION REPORT

Transcription

1 COMMUNITY CONSULTATION REPORT This report was developed under the Fostering Community Engagement and Welcoming Communities Project which is supported by the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR/ACF/DHHS).

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3 WELCOMING AMERICA COMMUNITY CONSULTATION REPORT Executive Summary Background As the Office of Refugee Resettlement s technical assistance provider for fostering greater community support for refugees, examining the degree of refugee welcome and ways to strengthen it across all phases of resettlement and integration is a priority for Welcoming America. The community consultation process, in particular, has been of interest because it is a powerful mechanism with the potential to accelerate refugee welcome. Indeed, the April 2015 White House Task Force on New Americans report Strengthening Communities by Welcoming All Residents: A Federal Action Plan on Immigrant and Refugee Integration highlights the importance of creating welcoming communities for immigrants and refugees, and references local stakeholder meetings as one important avenue to do so. Methodology Welcoming America selected three diverse sites from across the country to visit and observe local community consultations. Sites were selected in partnership with national resettlement agencies and the Office of Refugee Resettlement and with the additional input of a number of other knowledgeable stakeholders. Sites included: Santa Clara/Alameda/San Francisco and Contra Costa Bay Area, California Cleveland, Ohio Charlottesville, Virginia Between June 2014 March 2015 Welcoming America senior staff visited one consultation in each of the three selected sites in order to collect a snapshot of the approaches communities were using after the new federal guidance on the consultation process. Observations were made of each community consultation and key themes were captured. Welcoming America also interviewed stakeholders, either individually or in small focus groups, to learn more about their experiences with planning and participating in the community consultation. Highlights from each visit are captured in the full consultation report. Recommendations for Local Sites Seeking Greater Engagement in Consultations Start with strengthening collaboration among the convening organizations. Develop a shared sense of purpose among those involved in the local resettlement sector. The receiving community needs to hear the local resettlement sector speaking with one voice. Key champions who can connect people are critical. Those who have a positive vision for the community and are energized by the possibilities of community consultations should be encouraged to help in planning. Be clear on goals, audience, and the value proposition to them. While there are clear guidelines established by PRM, there may be additional local goals that are important for you to achieve. Tailor the approach to meet the interests and needs of those you most want to influence. Facilitate interaction. Audiences will learn more and stay involved when they have opportunities to be part of a robust dialogue. Balance data with values and stories. While there are requirements to share specific types of data 1

4 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY and details on refugee resettlement processes at consultations, don t forget the stories of refugees themselves. Refugee voices should be actively part of the conversation. They humanize the issue, contribute their voice, and help community members know what is possible. Join other community conversations. Be attuned to other community dialogues with diverse stakeholders that are not focused on refugees or integration, but that could benefit from an additional refugee perspective. Use an approach that builds welcome for all community members. Using an inclusive approach that also takes into account the needs and concerns of all community members will pay dividends in the longer term. Potential Tools to Help There are a number of new tools that could be developed to help local and national organizations in the planning and implementation of community consultations. These include: A guide for community consultation planning as well as a how-to checklist for consultation planning purposes. FAQ-type template that agencies can tweak for external audiences, which leads with the story of how refugee welcome benefits the entire community, describes the resettlement process in ways that resonate, provides key statistics, and also weaves in possible positive messages and stories. A community of practice around community consultations, so that groups across the country that want to deepen their impact can share ideas with each other and find new ways to maximize the potential of the consultations. 2

5 WELCOMING AMERICA COMMUNITY CONSULTATION REPORT Background As the Office of Refugee Resettlement s technical assistance provider for fostering greater community support for refugees, examining the degree of refugee welcome and ways to strengthen it across all phases of resettlement and integration is a priority for Welcoming America. The community consultation process, in particular, has been of interest because it is a powerful mechanism with the potential to accelerate refugee welcome. Indeed, the April 2015 White House Task Force on New Americans report Strengthening Communities by Welcoming All Residents: A Federal Action Plan on Immigrant and Refugee Integration highlights the importance of creating welcoming communities for immigrants and refugees, and references local stakeholder meetings as one important avenue to do so. Resettlement agencies have long engaged in local community consultations, recognizing the importance of building community support for resettlement and refugees. The recent federal emphasis on consultations provides a new opportunity for all United States Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) stakeholders to review how to conduct these consultations in the most effective ways possible. The July 2012 Government Accountability Office (GAO) report, Refugee Resettlement: Greater Consultation with Community Stakeholders Could Strengthen Program emphasized the importance of local stakeholder meetings and recommended greater federal guidance in order to ensure compliance. Both the Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration (PRM) and the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) issued directives around the format and content of consultations, and national organizations including Refugee Council USA (RCUSA) and the State Coordinators of Refugee Resettlement (SCORR) worked together to develop guidelines that a number of states have adopted. It is in this broader context that Welcoming America began examining how communities were adapting their consultation processes to meet federal requirements and how they might be using consultations as a moment to maximize greater refugee welcome. When planning community consultations, refugee resettlement providers and their partners are faced with a choice around the degree to which they share a unified message and intentionally engage community members who go beyond existing champions. On the one hand, communities can advance an approach that emphasizes a positive vision of refugee welcome and promotes listening, dialogue and lifting up refugee contributions in turn setting the stage for a significant expansion of local resources and broad support for refugees. On the other, a lack of focus or concerted effort can create a largely missed opportunity to build more support for refugees and resettlement, address and minimize fears, and help prevent longer-term backlash. From Welcoming America s perspective, community consultations are not only an opportunity to help the community understand new arrivals and plan for service provision, but at a more fundamental level, consultations are a venue for engaging a broader cross-section of the receiving community that may not know who refugees are or why they are worth investing in. When there is an opportunity for real listening, sharing and learning, it becomes possible to create common ground with new allies. This works best by starting with a recognition of the rich diversity of receiving communities; connecting to the values and interests specific audiences have in common with refugees; and finding ways to work towards a positive, welcoming vision. Consultations can also be seen as the gateway for connecting with mainstream providers on other community issues that impact the lives of refugees economic 1

6 COMMUNITY CONSULTATION REPORT mobility, education, and public health, among others. By inviting in new local perspectives via the consultation process, refugees and resettlement organizations may open up new opportunities to sit at the tables and help influence the work of a new set of potential allies. Welcoming America undertook this pilot to help document how community consultations were unfolding in select communities and to identify areas of strength and areas for possible improvement in order to help inform the field. Welcoming America, given its focus on engaging long-term members of receiving communities, is viewed as a more impartial third party and well situated for observing the consultation process through a community engagement lens. Community consultations and conversations with receiving communities are complex. Receiving communities themselves are very diverse, and may have a broad range of perspectives on refugees. Local politics can come into play, different refugee service providers may have contrasting visions of how a consultation should unfold, and fostering an open dialogue that promotes not only information sharing but also true listening and understanding makes any consultation complicated. Successful consultations benefit from strong planning, communication, and facilitation to ensure they are productive. If not handled appropriately, consultations could inadvertently create more controversy and result in less community support for refugees in the longer-term. Pilot Methodology Site Selection Welcoming America selected three diverse sites from across the country to visit and observe local community consultations. Sites were selected in partnership with national resettlement agencies and the Office of Refugee Resettlement and with the additional input of a number of other knowledgeable stakeholders. The following criteria were used in site selection: 1. Diverse local contexts: Sites needed to reflect a variety of local contextual factors. Variation between the sites would help ensure findings and recommendations were relevant to a range of other communities. Site diversity factors considered included: Geographic diversity, including selecting sites from different regions of the U.S., and with a range of population sizes Ethnic/linguistic diversity of refugees in communities and length of residency in the country History of migration in the community, including newer and more established resettlement sites Degree of community capacity and infrastructure to support resettlement. 2. Receptive local partners: To participate in the pilot project, both state refugee coordinators and local resettlement agencies needed to be open to being part of the pilot, which would mean sharing the methods they are trying and being open to learning with others. 3. Local capacity: Evidence of enough local capacity and cooperation to ensure a productive consultation that other communities could learn from was an important consideration. Looking at different models and scales of collaboration was also considered. 4. Timing: A meaningful, in-person community consultation needed to be planned with numerous local stakeholders within the timeframe of the community consultation pilot study. 2

7 WELCOMING AMERICA Based on this criteria, the following sites were selected for participation in the pilot: Santa Clara/Alameda/San Francisco and Contra Costa Bay Area, California The State of California receives about 20% of the nationwide refugee and SIV population and uses a regional approach to consultation given the number of locations involved and proximity. Each county has a separately identified county refugee coordinator and is also served by a statewide refugee coordinator. A regional approach in a traditional gateway location offers a number of lessons for other areas with large populations and a need for deep collaboration. Cleveland, Ohio According to the 2010 census, Cleveland s current population of 396,000 is at a 100-year low. For this reason, the city now considers immigrant and refugee populations as part of the solution to stimulate economic growth in the area. After years of informal collaboration and dialogue between local stakeholders and Cleveland s three refugee resettlement agencies, the Refugee Services Collaborative (RSC) was created in RSC has worked to coordinate the efforts of its member agencies and build capacity across organizations. RSC provides a venue for community consultations between resettlement agencies, government officials, health care providers, schools and State Refugee Coordinator. The RSC has taken on a number of joint initiatives, perhaps most notably commissioning a refugee economic impact study. Charlottesville, Virginia Virginia s State Refugee Coordinator launched a community dialogue process as part of a statewide effort to strengthen community consultations. Charlottesville is served by one local resettlement agency and has successfully held a number of dialogues/consultations that involved the receiving community. Charlottesville provides an opportunity not only to learn from Virginia s pilot, but also to consider refugee receptivity in a southern context amidst a dynamic political and civil rights backdrop. Observations Between June 2014 March 2015 Welcoming America senior staff visited one consultation in each of the three selected sites in order to collect a snapshot of the approaches communities were using after the new federal guidance. Observations were made of each community consultation and key themes were captured. Welcoming America also interviewed stakeholders, either individually or in small focus groups, to learn more about their experiences with planning and participating in the community consultation. Findings from each of these sessions are described below, followed by overarching themes that emerged. Finally, a set of recommendations was developed. Sites have had the opportunity to review this report and provide feedback to it. 3

8 COMMUNITY CONSULTATION REPORT Finding Highlights Santa Clara, Alameda, San Francisco and Contra Costa Bay Area, California Community Context The cities and counties of northern California are very racially and ethnically diverse communities and tend to be welcoming. They also have seen first-hand the many significant contributions that refugees have made to the area including famous people like Andy Grove, the founder of Intel and a refugee. By-and-large, the receiving community has heard positive messages about refugees and views them as valued contributors and neighbors. Despite this receptivity, the region faces a number of challenges, including a high cost of living and housing, and barriers to early employment. This has made regional collaboration more important than ever. Arrival numbers exceeded the 844 awarded numbers in 2014 by 269 arrivals, providing additional challenges. The majority of arrivals are family reunification cases. It is speculated that this focus on family unity also helps receptivity trend more positively among schools and other institutions. The region has a strong infrastructure developed for refugees, with three resettlement agencies working together, a host of community based organizations and a number of active ethnic based organizations, including many in Oakland that serve the Lao, Vietnamese, Afghanis, East Africans and Persians. It should also be noted that beyond the regional consultation, individual cities also have local coalitions that meet and have related conversations. For instance, in San Francisco, the San Francisco Cares Coalition of 30 agencies meets bi-monthly to discuss all resettlement-related issues. They also host presentations from community organizations. Oakland, which also has a very diverse population, also reports strong local collaboration, including a strong relationship with the Oakland School District, among others. Community Consultation Approach In 2014, resettlement agencies across the state began regional community consultations. Previously, these were held city-by-city, and this new approach provides an opportunity for providers to get to know each other and the services they offer across Northern California. Because so many challenges play out regionally, this is viewed as a highly effective way for service providers to communicate. Indeed, provider participation was strong during the observed consultation. Some participants met in-person, while others joined by telephone. There were roughly 12 different organizations represented, ranging from resettlement agencies to the state refugee coordinator, health programs and local government. Most were refugee service providers. Participants noted their appreciation for the opportunity to have a regional conversation, believing this new forum gave them an opportunity to share the challenges they were facing and receive guidance on how to best resolve issues. Most of the observed 90-minute consultation was focused on concerns and overcoming challenges. These ranged from issues of refugee health care services, unaccompanied minors, refugee mental health needs, and housing, among others. Some successes were shared during the portion of the agenda focused on World 4

9 WELCOMING AMERICA Refugee Day. While there were few concerns raised about community receptivity, the participants did discuss a California mayor s negative remarks about Unaccompanied Minors, which were having rippling effects among the broader community. A focus on refugee service provider information sharing, as was the case in this observed consultation, clearly serves as a useful way to provide program updates, particularly related to new arrivals, funding streams and other policy developments. However, there appears to be less room for relationship sharing with those outside of resettlement. It may be that, because the receiving community is viewed as very supportive of refugees, there has been less focus on engaging other institutions or individuals who could be influential in strengthening refugee welcome. Strengths of Northern California s Approach: Information sharing among service providers was open and clearly helpful. The venue was a useful way to provide program updates, particularly related to new arrivals, funding streams, and policy developments. Learning about other community resources, such as health and mental health services and housing, is clearly a priority. Providing a forum for brainstorming solutions to problems made participants feel they had peer resources available to them. Participants also appreciated the opportunity to learn from other agencies work and approaches, and they shared a number of referral resources with each other during the meeting. Emotional support from others in the field and an opportunity for staff to build their capacity also made the meeting particularly worthwhile. Having the participation of leaders like state refugee and health coordinators was clearly beneficial to the group. Areas for Consideration: Having part of the meeting relate to hearing from and sharing with mainstream providers, like schools, health care and employers could be valuable and open up opportunities for new partnerships. Hearing from other entities like these about their non-resettlement and nonintegration issues could put additional frameworks to consider on the table and could lead to the creation of new, mutually shared goals. Engaging more refugees themselves in the regional conversation would help ensure needs are truly being met. More time spent sharing successes and opportunities, and what could be replicated across communities, would be powerful and energizing for participants. Inviting some of the members from the local coalitions (like San Francisco Cares) into the regional conversation from time to time could prove beneficial and broaden the perspectives at the table. 5

10 COMMUNITY CONSULTATION REPORT Cleveland, Ohio Community Context Cleveland is one of many cities in Ohio that have grappled with a declining population and economy. Increasingly, refugees and other immigrants are seen as a key factor in helping to revitalize the community. Indeed, a growing number of cities throughout the region, such as Detroit, St. Louis and Pittsburgh among others, are developing welcoming strategies that are independent of community consultations and are designed to attract and retain immigrants as part of larger economic development strategies. Cleveland is home to a large African American community that has also struggled to get its needs met along with other incumbent populations, so while there has been a focus on new populations, this is a city that also must continue to work on building bridges with its diverse longer-term, receiving community. Cleveland s three refugee resettlement providers resettle approximately 700 refugees each year. In 2011, Cleveland s resettlement agencies created the Refugee Services Collaborative (RSC) to work together in order to achieve a greater community impact. Together, they were able to raise private funding for their work, and one of their most successful early projects was a refugee economic impact study. This study has given the RSC the data it needs to help build a compelling case for extending refugee welcome in Cleveland. Community Consultation Approach Welcoming America observed the second-ever community consultation hosted by the RSC. Prior to that, individual agencies hosted narrower and more traditional consultations, which were focused on providing a more limited audience with basic information about refugees and the refugee resettlement process and were conducted agency-by-agency. In contrast, the observed consultation, which had a special emphasis on housing, targeted a broad crosssection of the community and had over 80 people in attendance. Participants included a large number of community development corporations, and other mainstream institutions focused on housing issues, as well as several city council members, local police, school district representatives, business owners, healthcare organizations, and a variety of organizations involved in refugee resettlement, including the state refugee coordinator and health coordinator, ethnic community based organizations, and the 14 members representing the RSC. Centering the consultation on housing was a strategic approach that attracted a mix of diverse community partners around a specific focus area. The format was largely presentation style, with some room for questions and answers at the end. There was impressive diversity in speakers and a fairly lively pace. The meeting also benefited from logistics coordination from a facilitator who works closely with the RSC, and included catered lunch from a local restaurant. The meeting began with a welcome from the Cleveland City Council President, who shared that being welcoming to refugees is essentially important for the city. In his wife s hometown of Utica, acceptance of refugees had helped the city survive, and he wanted Cleveland to be welcoming so that we can reap the benefits. Another city councilmember later spoke about his own commitment and how a year ago, he knew little about refugees, but the RSC had engaged and educated him and now he is firmly committed and 6

11 WELCOMING AMERICA believes Cleveland has the best effort underway in the nation. After a short presentation on the basics of resettlement in Cleveland, the event consisted primarily of a series of presentations highlighting various aspects of housing issues being addressed by the Housing Subcommittee of the RSC. This included both established housing efforts and promising partnerships emerging between mainstream providers and resettlement organizations. A particular highlight was a discussion of the Dream Neighborhood initiative, introduced by a city councilmember and the program director of a local community development corporation, who together are working to leverage a variety of community assets in support of creating a welcoming community for refugees in one neighborhood, with an eye toward expansion. In addition to a strong focus on affordable housing, economic development and education, clearly a major element of the strategy is receiving community engagement. The concept would include the creation of a welcoming committee that would leverage existing block clubs to formally welcome and orient newcomers to the community. The event also featured a speaker who was himself a former refugee and had benefited from one of the highlighted programs. He spoke about how he had benefited from the program and from Cleveland welcoming him, and now he hopes to give back. Strengths of Cleveland s Approach: By holding the consultation as a Refugee Services Collaborative (RSC), Cleveland appears to be effectively engaging a larger group of community members than may be typical. These include diverse key stakeholders such as local political leaders, refugees themselves and mainstream service providers. RSC seems to have fostered a culture of support and open information sharing between both mainstream and refugee-serving organizations. Giving roles to these different leaders during the consultation increases the credibility of the effort with the receiving community and is arguably more effective than merely providing a series of facts about refugees. Organizing the consultation around a specific topic like housing makes it more attractive to a more narrowly defined audience. Linking the consultation to a concrete project like Dream Neighborhoods also facilitates the identification of next steps, is more likely to lead to concrete action, and in turn will foster greater support for refugees among people working together on a common project. Featuring a refugee voice was impactful and sent a strong message. RSC has a Refugee Leadership group to expand refugee voice and leadership, which should be leveraged for consultations in the future. A number of organizations attended that have traditionally not served refugees but are now looking to offer more inclusive services, suggesting a positive trend. 7

12 Areas for Consideration (Cleveland cont.): COMMUNITY CONSULTATION REPORT While traditional presentations can be effective, people will be more engaged when they have an opportunity to have deeper interactions. Though there was time for a Question and Answer session, some additional space on the agenda for conversation could be beneficial. With a group as large as 80, it may be helpful to consider having small group discussions around specific topics be part of the agenda. For example, one topic that was broached was language access, which could benefit from small group discussions. Finding ways to foster the engagement of stakeholders beyond the meetings, by giving them homework assignments to work on independently or in small teams can keep them involved and help propel the work forward. Cleveland has excellent data thanks to its refugee economic impact study. However, data should be balanced with stories and values, otherwise there is a risk that such factual information will dehumanize refugees. 8

13 WELCOMING AMERICA Charlottesville, Virginia Community Context Charlottesville is home to one refugee resettlement agency, the International Rescue Committee (IRC), which resettles approximately 200 refugees annually in the city. Charlottesville is considered to be a desirable destination for refugees. Historic home to Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, Charlottesville is a vibrant town of 40,000 centered around the University of Virginia. Charlottesville was recently ranked as Happiest City in America by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Research. Many employment opportunities await refugees in the service sector, though housing options are challenging. Overall, Charlottesville is considered by most to be a welcoming city, though the city and state as a whole have a long history of civil rights challenges to overcome. The current picture in Charlottesville includes: A rapidly diversifying population -- especially due to refugees -- that is now 5% Latino. African Americans have dropped from 22% to 19% of the population in the last few years Generational effects of past discrimination are still being felt today A need for jobs and housing, though the employment rate is fairly high A commitment from the local government to unify the community. The Virginia State Refugee Coordinator s Office, the Office of Newcomer Services (ONS) launched a statewide dialogue process in March 2014 to sustain the ability of receiving communities in refugee resettlement sites to plan, consult and collaborate to welcome and integrate refugees who are being settled in those cities and towns. Guidance from the ONS on the purpose, membership and dialogue deliverables was provided to resettlement agencies across the state to guide their local consultation processes. All offices with an ONS contract were required to use this model of community consultation. Refugee resettlement agencies were asked to submit quarterly reports to ONS on their progress and to highlight at least one local program at each monthly meeting that supports the goals of the dialogue process. Charlottesville was one of eight resettlement cities that began the local refugee dialogue process in May They began inviting members of the community to participate in what would become monthly meetings throughout the year. Representatives from the following categories were invited to be engaged in the dialogue: Refugee resettlement agencies; Departments of Social Services; Workforce Development/ Workforce Investment Boards; Community College Workforce Departments; Departments of Health; School Divisions and Adult Education; Governing and Public Offices; Landlords/Housing; Police and Public Safety; Mental Health Providers; ELL Services Organizations; Ethnic/Cultural Organizations; Transportation; Faith Institutions; and Area Agencies on Aging. 9

14 Community Consultation Approach COMMUNITY CONSULTATION REPORT Approximately 15 people attended the observed consultation in Charlottesville. They represented ONS, IRC, Human Right s Commission, adult education, City Council, transportation and social services. There were three refugees in attendance representing ethnic based organizations. The consultation began with a series of presentations, with each followed by questions and answers and some discussion. The first presentation was from the newly established Office of Human Rights under the City of Charlottesville. The office was established with the recognition of the long history of legal discrimination in Virginia, which included barring inter-racial marriage, forced sterilization, and resisting school segregation, among others. The office exists within a legal framework but is also looking for ways to build community and wanted to make its resources and plans known to the consultation attendees. The initial presentation was followed by a number of updates, including Charlottesville s recent participation in National Welcoming Week, an update on anticipated numbers of new refugee arrivals, and new citizenship funding. During the meeting, the ONS provided context on the dialogues they are supporting across the state and recent trends in refugee resettlement, including emerging health and mental health needs. Strengths of Charlottesville s Approach: It is arguably a strength that they are working off of ONA s blueprint, which was adapted from the SCORR/RCUSA/PRM guidelines, helping ensure some standardization of consultation processes across the state. Participation in the monthly dialogue sessions/consultations has helped local group participants strengthen their bonds over time. Using this venue to share important new information, such as the creation of the Human Rights Commission and how refugees can connect to it, is helpful. IRC has worked hard to successfully engage various sectors, such as law enforcement and city council. The conversation was a healthy balance of sharing successes as well as ongoing challenges. Since the observed observation, Charlottesville has created working groups around employment and workforce issues, and will be engaging local stakeholders in strategic planning. Areas for Consideration: Though characterized as a dialogue, there could be more of an interactive component to the meeting. The session remained primarily focused on information sharing, which is important so that people understand the resources that are available to them in the community, but apart from the service providers who tend to work with refugees already, there were not a lot of newer people in the room. Creating an agenda that allows for smaller group breakout sessions around different topics might prove helpful and could encourage more participation. Hosting smaller dialogues that focus on a specific segment or sector of the community could also 10

15 WELCOMING AMERICA prove useful such as a dialogue with employers and refugees, or with African Americans in the community. All could help inform larger, broader community consultations. These dialogues could be held at organizations that are convenient and trusted by target audiences. The frequency of monthly dialogues may be too ambitious to sustain. Now that a core group has been established, perhaps moving to quarterly conversations and mixing up the format would keep energy and participation strong. Implications for Other Communities in Developing Local Consultations Each of the three sites used a very different approach to their consultation and was selected in part because they were somewhat exceptional to begin with. It may be that the levels of collaboration and infrastructure present in these places are somewhat unusual. Nonetheless, considering the methodology each used and striving to replicate the strengths that make sense in one s own context can help pay dividends for future refugee welcome. Based upon the three observations, the following recommendations are advanced broadly to help other communities as they consider their own approach to community consultations and how to design them in ways that meet federal expectations and set the stage for longer-term community receptivity: Start with strengthening collaboration among the convening organizations. Develop a shared sense of purpose among those involved in the local resettlement sector. Rather than hosting separate consultations, it is ideal if organizations are planning and implementing consultations together. The receiving community needs to hear the local resettlement sector speaking with one voice. The three observed sites showed very impressive levels of local collaborations among service providers. Communities struggling with inter-agency distrust or conflict must prioritize strengthening their communication and collaboration. Cleveland s RSC is an extremely successful model to learn from. To pull off a successful community consultation, key champions who can connect people are critical. Those who have a positive vision for the community and are energized by the possibilities of community consultations should be encouraged to help in planning. They will help set the tone for inclusion and can outreach to the groups that are prioritized for engagement. Include champions who work in resettlement as well as a significant number who work outside it. Be clear on your goals, audience, and the value proposition to them. While there are clear guidelines established by PRM, there may be additional local goals that are important for you to achieve. Who can help you meet those goals? Who are the influential people in your community who would benefit from being at the table to learn more about refugees? How can you engage them in community consultations in creative ways, whether as speakers, as special guests, or as participants in dialogues with the refugee community? Tailor your approach to meet the interests and needs of those you most want to influence. 11

16 COMMUNITY CONSULTATION REPORT Facilitate interaction. Consultation formats are often fairly presentation-focused, which is understandable since there is new information that needs to be conveyed. However, audiences will learn more and stay involved when they have opportunities to be part of a robust dialogue and have a meaningful opportunity to share their points of view. Balancing time on the agenda between information sharing and audience interaction is an important consideration and one that will lead to more engaged community members. Balance data with values and stories. While there are requirements to share specific types of data and details on refugee resettlement processes at consultations, receiving community members may get lost in the data, and it will not be as compelling as the stories of refugees themselves. If you create fact sheets, for example, weave in positive messaging about refugees. See Welcoming America s Reframing Refugees Messaging Toolkit for ideas on how to approach this type of communication. Data alone can be very dehumanizing when we are communicating about real people. Ideally, data, values and stories all work together. Refugee voices tend to be under-represented in the consultation process. Refugees should be actively part of the conversation. They humanize the issue, contribute their voice, and help community members know what is possible. While every consultation had refugees at the table, more could be done to give them a central role. Revisiting consultation formats may help in this regard. Join other community conversations. Be attuned to other community dialogues with diverse stakeholders that are not focused on refugees or integration, but that could benefit from an additional refugee perspective (i.e., health equity, police relations). Joining other tables is as important as having others join your table. Use an approach that builds welcome for all community members. While the job of refugee resettlement providers is focused on promoting refugee success, using an inclusive approach that also takes into account the needs and concerns of all community members including the diverse immigrant community will pay dividends in the longer term. Many will face similar needs language access, education, employment and mainstream providers are more likely to listen when they hear a unified voice. These groups also have assets that, when joined with refugee interests, create an even more compelling picture of the contributions newcomers bring. In many communities refugees are a fraction of the foreign born population, so good bridge building between immigrant groups and local stakeholders of diverse racial, educational and socioeconomic backgrounds will serve refugees well in the longer-term. 12

17 WELCOMING AMERICA Potential Tools to Help There are a number of new tools that could be developed to help local and national resettlement agencies in the planning and implementation of community consultations. A few that might prove helpful to the field include: Developing a basic guide for community consultation planning as well as a how-to checklist for consultation planning purposes. This guide and checklist might include helping groups identify their vision for the consultation, key goals around the consultation (some of which will be required by PRM, others of which may be additional local goals), potential influential audiences to attract, how refugees are being included, and meeting methodologies that help ensure goals are met. Effective ways to communicate about the consultation could also be incorporated into the guide. Creating an FAQ-type template that agencies can tweak for external audiences, which leads with the story of how refugee welcome benefits the entire community, describes the resettlement process in ways that resonate, provides key statistics, and also weaves in possible positive messages and refugee stories in a way that speaks to values of receiving community audiences and diverse stakeholders. Establishing a community of practice around community consultations, so that groups across the country that want to deepen their impact can share ideas with each other; problem solve with each other; access new tools, promising practices, and training; and find new ways to maximize the potential of the process. Conclusion While community consultations are an important vehicle for sharing information about refugee resettlement, they may be an underutilized methodology for fostering greater community support for refugees. Sharing basic facts at these meetings is not enough to truly have an impact on the receiving community people need to have an experience that is more transformative. At the same time, planning and implementing a community consultation is a complex undertaking. More opportunity to share promising practices and challenges in how consultations are approached across different communities would advance the effectiveness of consultations and their longer-term impact. The tools recommended in this paper could also help provide guidance and inspiration to others who want to make the most of the potential of consultations. Welcoming America would like to thank providers in Northern California, Cleveland and Charlottesville who were so generous with their time and who embarked upon this project in a true spirit of learning and sharing. We deeply appreciate your willingness to grow along with all of us. 13

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