Saint John YM-YWCA

Our Work with Newcomers

by Richard Campbell

Saint John was settled by refugees. They began coming in 1783, fleeing the persecution of the American Revolution. These settlers, called Loyalists because of their allegiance to the British crown were instrumental in establishing the city as a major trading port of the Atlantic Seaboard. One of these early arrivals was Benedict Arnold, a traitor in American history books who established a mercantile business. Today the city remains a bastion of Loyalist heritage. The United Empire Loyalists’ Association continues to exist with membership open to descendants of the original refugee Loyalist settlers.

In the past three years, immigration has become one of Saint John’s primary concerns. As the Provincial Nominee Program attracts largest number of Newcomers, many are choosing this city as their destination. Most are from China and South Korea. In fact, for the first time in our history, these two groups have reached a critical mass where there is less risk of losing their own identity. In the past, small groups of Somalis, Liberians, and Congolese have settled but have never successfully built upon the original core groups. Now most have disappeared, having migrated to Toronto, Ottawa and Calgary. During the mid to late 1990s many refugees from the Former Yugoslavia settled in the city. Today there remain only a few families from this group. Yet they have become an integral part of the larger community, having become integrated into our daily life. It is a sad irony however that their children, having graduated from local schools, often leave the Maritimes for post-secondary education elsewhere. It is a reflection of the ongoing concern in the Atlantic region in general – we continue to lose our youth to central and western Canada.

Settlement in New Brunswick is unique from the other Atlantic provinces. Newfoundland, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Islands all have one destination point for most of their immigrants. Settlement programs are offered in each of their capital cities. New Brunswick is different. Settlement programs funded by CIC are offered in Fredericton and Moncton, as well as here in Saint John. That means the economic pie is split three ways. As a result, the number of government sponsored refugees for the province is divided into three parts and results in less financial resources available to better settle them into each community. Saint John is also at an additional disadvantage because, unlike Fredericton and Moncton, it has not been able to develop a strong multicultural association. Instead, powerful cultural groups are developing independently. Attempts have been made to re-establish a unified association but the lesson learned is that this must be through organic growth, coming from within. As a result, advocacy, which works best with a united front, is more difficult to achieve. Common consensus is forever a moving target.

The Saint John YM-YWCA continues to be the central focus of immigration and settlement in the Saint John region. Our clientele include all landed immigrant categories, such as Family Class members, Government Sponsored Refugees and Provincial Nominee immigrants. Our Settlement programs include LINC (Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada), RAP (Resettlement Assistance Program), designed for the settlement of government sponsored refugees, Life Skills, designed to assist targeted clients with local orientation, ISAP ( Immigrant Settlement & Adaptation Program), for landed immigrants, as well as the HOST Program which matches Newcomers with local members of the community. We also have a School Liaison Co-Ordinator. These programs are all funded through CIC.

Our LINC Program (Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada) includes Pre-LINC (Literacy), LINC 1, LINC 2, LINC 3, and a combined LINC 4/5. These programs employ six Instructors. A pilot project initiative (LINC Triage) was completed and is now part of our mainstream programming. Triage was originally designed to minimize class wait lists. It serves as a multi-level temporary 4-6 week class focusing primarily on listening and speaking skill development as well as orientation to Saint John. It is the first such class in the Maritimes. The instructor has her Masters in Experiental Education and uses this knowledge to develop specialized field trip opportunities. Because Triage is flexible we have recently used this class to accommodate one large extended refugee family who wanted to access our language program. Triage was broken into a morning component and an afternoon one, each designed for family members based upon assessed language skills. We have recently developed a specialized Orientation package for Newcomers to the region and this is used in our Triage program. For many years in Saint John, language assessments were contracted out to an agency outside the city. This resulted in a slow response time for assessing LINC applicants. The Saint John YM-YWCA now has a certified CLBA – CLBLA Language Assessor on-site. This facilitates quicker entry into our LINC classes and allows for ready collaboration between assessor and LINC Instructor.

We have just completed an Enhanced Language Training program with ten students functioning with high-level English skills. The ELT program is co-funded by CIC and the Province of New Brunswick. It featured employment training skills, computer training, and a work placement opportunity. One of the student high-lights was a mock interview day. It was an opportunity for the ELT students to participate in – and be critiqued for - their interview skills. Professional interviewers conducted the sessions. At our class graduation ceremony, Saint John Mayor Norm McFarlane attended. There was provincial media coverage of the event.

Several ESL evening conversation classes have started up across the city. This is a reflection of the growing influx of Newcomers to the region. We have assisted volunteer groups in setting up these classes. In addition, at the request of a language student who wanted additional speaking practice, the ‘Y’ set up its own informal conversation class. A retired school teacher was recruited in 2005 and she has developed learning modules that emphasize listening and speaking. Classes are in the evening so that people not able to access our regular programs can use this opportunity.

In what may prove to be the most significant development this year is a new initiative outreach program started in January. We have long recognized the need of a language program in a community an hour’s drive west of Saint John. Large fish processing plants dominate the region and attract many immigrants with ready employment. Over the years many of our Newcomer clients have opted to work there and have not been able to continue with learning English. We approached a major employer in that region and they were very interested in working with us to develop a language class for staff members who required it. Our instructor is from the region, is a trained LINC teacher and is helping to develop a multi-level curriculum that will emphasize workplace language. In co-operation with the fish processing industry she is designing learning modules that will include health and safety issues. The class will be run out of an access centre in the nearby high school during the evenings. This is a Pilot Project that is expected to be just the beginning of a wider immigration mandate in that part of the province.

There was a recent serendipitous moment when a job foreman at one of these fish processing plants visited the Human Resources Office to relay a special request from several of his Newcomer employees. We want language training. Serendipitous because the HR Officer was able to say that there would in fact be such a class starting within the week. Build an ESL program and they will come.

If there is a weak link in our service chain, it might be with employment counseling. Funding remains an issue and currently our employment contract is linked to other contractual obligations. There is a need for additional employment counseling in Saint John and efforts are underway to correct this delivery gap.

Acceptance and diversity are important aspects of a welcoming environment. As such, the Saint John YM-YWCA reflects the international ‘Y’ core values of Caring, Responsibility, Honesty and Respect. Our settlement programs enhance these principles by living and working with them everyday.

Professionalism in the Settlement Sector has always been a national issue. Counselors work in an intensive, demanding environment with ever-changing needs waiting to be addressed. Workers not only must be knowledgeable about the community in which they live, but also must display strong counseling skills demanding empathy, the ability to listen, to understand, and to act. These come with experience and through professional development opportunities. Professionalism can also be reflected in the manner of personnel recruitment. Our staff members have university degrees. Four are at the Master’s level. Some employees have strong private sector experience. One staff member was a practicing lawyer in her home country and is considering the legal profession in Canada. We have recognized that, to Newcomers, the level of education is important. Our staff members are better able to command respect using this opportunity.

One of the undervalued components of professionalism is counseling. Settlement Workers are seen as para-counselors with a primary emphasis on dealing with homesick clients with money problems. This has never been good enough. Our Settlement Workers are called Settlement Counselors because they have all been trained in basic counseling skills; the ability to listen (this develops the client’s thinking process), to be non-judgmental (the client feels safe and respected), to pay attention (to know that you care), to accept the client’s feelings (so that the client will not feel judged), and to understand what the client is going through (being with them). Our Settlement Counselors do not pretend to be social workers but they do need to be aware of red flag issues for appropriate referral.

One of the best ways of enhancing professional development is by working in alliance with like-minded agencies. The Saint John YM-YWCA is a member of the Atlantic Region Association of Immigrant Serving Agencies (ARAISA). This is a four province umbrella organization that advocates on behalf of its members and clients. Each year there is a major regional conference where training opportunities are embraced by our staff members. This year’s conference will be in Moncton.

Saint John continues to grapple with immigration. In January 2008 the provincial government granted the city seed money to conduct a survey of all immigration related work being done in the city. Ultimately it is imperative for all stakeholders to work together towards the common cause of successfully attracting and retaining our Newcomers to the region.

Richard Campbell is Director of Settlement Services at the Saint John YMCA-YWCA. Active in settlement work since 1992, he has his Masters in Adult Education and is also a certified CLB Assessor.