Please note, this is not an open access database or repository. We have focused on creating simple summaries of reports and articles that we have accessed through websites and academic journals, with a focus on key findings, so that even if a full report is not free to access you can reference it. When possible, we include a link to wherever the original document is hosted (which may or may not be open-access). If you come across a link that is no longer active, please let us know and we can update it. There are also some reports that will have been submitted directly to the project. In this case, these reports are uploaded directly with permission from the author or publisher. Any original documents found on this site are stored in Canada on our secure servers
The objective of the Health of the Sector (HOTS) survey is to identify challenges, strengths, and opportunities through a quantitative survey. Akin to other employee surveys, the primary objective of the HOTS survey is to evaluate and accordingly improve staff workplace-related experience in order to deliver quality settlement and integration services across the PNT region. By improving the satisfaction of front-line employees, settlement agencies will retain their competent and experienced employees and promote and encourage their long-term commitment to the organization. The objective of the Health of the Sector (HOTS) survey is to identify challenges, strengths, and opportunities through a quantitative survey. Akin to other employee surveys, the primary objective of the HOTS survey is to evaluate and accordingly improve staff workplace-related experience in order to deliver quality settlement and integration services across the PNT region. By improving the satisfaction of front-line employees, settlement agencies will retain their competent and experienced employees and promote and encourage their long-term commitment to the organization.
This publication has no Abstract to dispaly
African immigrant children experience some of the poorest mental health outcomes in Canada, yet limited research on their menta health determinants exist. This study explored parents’ perspectives of the factors influencing the mental health of African immigrant children in Alberta, Canada. Parents identified racial discrimination, limited mental health awareness, limited access to mental health supports, changing family dynamics, parental absenteeism, and unresolved pre-migration trauma as factors influencing their children’s mental health. These factors were perceived as contributing to children’s experiences of material deprivation, social problems, and emotional difficulties. The findings suggest that interventions to enhance the mental health of African immigrant children must target transformation of the family, community, and cultural systems within which their lives are embedded, as well as the policies and institutions that produce and reproduce child mental health vulnerabilities. African immigrant children experience some of the poorest mental health outcomes in Canada, yet limited research on their menta health determinants exist. This study explored parents’ perspectives of the factors influencing the mental health of African immigrant children in Alberta, Canada. Parents identified racial discrimination, limited mental health awareness, limited access to mental health supports, changing family dynamics, parental absenteeism, and unresolved pre-migration trauma as factors influencing their children’s mental health. These factors were perceived as contributing to children’s experiences of material deprivation, social problems, and emotional difficulties. The findings suggest that interventions to enhance the mental health of African immigrant children must target transformation of the family, community, and cultural systems within which their lives are embedded, as well as the policies and institutions that produce and reproduce child mental health vulnerabilities.
This publication has no Abstract to dispaly
Despite changes to Canadian immigration policy to address declining labour market outcomes, many highly educated immigrants still face challenges when searching for career-related employment. Interviews with newcomers in Edmonton, Alberta and Winnipeg, Manitoba illustrate challenges and barriers in employment searching in Canada. Despite changes to Canadian immigration policy to address declining labour market outcomes, many highly educated immigrants still face challenges when searching for career-related employment. Interviews with newcomers in Edmonton, Alberta and Winnipeg, Manitoba illustrate challenges and barriers in employment searching in Canada.
This publication has no Abstract to dispaly
This is AAISA’s fourth annual Alberta Settlement and Integration Sector Survey report. The report is based on the Alberta Settlement and Integration Sector Survey conducted by AAISA in June 2021, which includes quantitative and qualitative data collected through open-ended survey questions, and supplemental references. The 2021 survey was completed by 60 settlement and integration agencies from across Alberta. The survey aims to examine and understand the priorities, systems-level issues, and potential areas of improvement in the Albertan settlement and integration sector. AAISA will use the survey results to improve and develop services and programs that will ensure agencies have the tools to offer innovative, high-quality, and adaptable programs and services to newcomers in Alberta. A total of 60 agencies responded to the Alberta Settlement and Integration Sector Survey conducted by AAISA in June 2021, of which 47 are AAISA members. These agencies provide services across Alberta, including 38% who provide itinerant and satellite services. Additionally, these agencies offer services across the province in over 70 languages. This is AAISA’s fourth annual Alberta Settlement and Integration Sector Survey report. The report is based on the Alberta Settlement and Integration Sector Survey conducted by AAISA in June 2021, which includes quantitative and qualitative data collected through open-ended survey questions, and supplemental references. The 2021 survey was completed by 60 settlement and integration agencies from across Alberta. The survey aims to examine and understand the priorities, systems-level issues, and potential areas of improvement in the Albertan settlement and integration sector. AAISA will use the survey results to improve and develop services and programs that will ensure agencies have the tools to offer innovative, high-quality, and adaptable programs and services to newcomers in Alberta. A total of 60 agencies responded to the Alberta Settlement and Integration Sector Survey conducted by AAISA in June 2021, of which 47 are AAISA members. These agencies provide services across Alberta, including 38% who provide itinerant and satellite services. Additionally, these agencies offer services across the province in over 70 languages.
This publication has no Abstract to dispaly
Small cities tend to have modest immigrant settlement services and cultural amenities, engendering a distinct sense of place among immigrants and impacting their wellbeing differently from large cities. This research examines the sense of place among immigrant women through their attribution of meanings to places of comfort and discomfort as they settled in a small city in Canada. Immigrant women took photographs of places that they considered to be either comfortable or uncomfortable. Findings indicated that these women appreciated the warmth and support extended to them by settlement services provider organizations, libraries, and faith-based organizations, attesting to the relational nature of the place. Nevertheless, immigrant women dreaded harsh winter conditions and felt unsafe in downtown areas. Immigrant women sought comfort in locales that this paper terms “restorative space,” showing their creative use of private and public spaces for relaxation. The findings from this study call for settlement policies that attend to distinct characteristics of local places to better serve the settlement needs of immigrants. Small cities tend to have modest immigrant settlement services and cultural amenities, engendering a distinct sense of place among immigrants and impacting their wellbeing differently from large cities. This research examines the sense of place among immigrant women through their attribution of meanings to places of comfort and discomfort as they settled in a small city in Canada. Immigrant women took photographs of places that they considered to be either comfortable or uncomfortable. Findings indicated that these women appreciated the warmth and support extended to them by settlement services provider organizations, libraries, and faith-based organizations, attesting to the relational nature of the place. Nevertheless, immigrant women dreaded harsh winter conditions and felt unsafe in downtown areas. Immigrant women sought comfort in locales that this paper terms “restorative space,” showing their creative use of private and public spaces for relaxation. The findings from this study call for settlement policies that attend to distinct characteristics of local places to better serve the settlement needs of immigrants.
This publication has no Abstract to dispaly
The CCIS Centre for Refugee Resilience Youth Therapy 2020-2021 Evaluation is a report that highlights the positive impact of the Youth Therapy Program on immigrant and refugee children and their families. The report provides an overview of the mental health services offered by the program, including individual and group therapy, as well as the use of interpreters to ensure multilingual accessibility. The report also emphasizes the importance of confidentiality in the program and provides data on the success of the program in helping children heal from trauma. The report concludes with a list of resources consulted in the evaluation, including academic studies and government reports. Overall, the report demonstrates the effectiveness of the CCIS Centre for Refugee Resilience Youth Therapy program in supporting the mental health and well-being of immigrant and refugee children. The CCIS Centre for Refugee Resilience Youth Therapy 2020-2021 Evaluation is a report that highlights the positive impact of the Youth Therapy Program on immigrant and refugee children and their families. The report provides an overview of the mental health services offered by the program, including individual and group therapy, as well as the use of interpreters to ensure multilingual accessibility. The report also emphasizes the importance of confidentiality in the program and provides data on the success of the program in helping children heal from trauma. The report concludes with a list of resources consulted in the evaluation, including academic studies and government reports. Overall, the report demonstrates the effectiveness of the CCIS Centre for Refugee Resilience Youth Therapy program in supporting the mental health and well-being of immigrant and refugee children.
This publication has no Abstract to dispaly
Discrimination negatively impacts students’ ability to adapt to and deal with the educational stressors of a new environment. When students experience discrimination, their options are to fight, fawn, or flee—that is, skip school. Results show that experiences of discrimination and psychological isolation are significant predictors of truancy (skipping school). I also find support for the effects of length of residency, paid employment, and participation in voluntary activities on increasing truancy, suggesting the importance of acculturation, socio-economic status, and time availability. Discrimination negatively impacts students’ ability to adapt to and deal with the educational stressors of a new environment. When students experience discrimination, their options are to fight, fawn, or flee—that is, skip school. Results show that experiences of discrimination and psychological isolation are significant predictors of truancy (skipping school). I also find support for the effects of length of residency, paid employment, and participation in voluntary activities on increasing truancy, suggesting the importance of acculturation, socio-economic status, and time availability.
This publication has no Abstract to dispaly
Refugees are at increased risk of developing tuberculosis (TB) soon after resettlement. Targeting high-risk populations for latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) screening and treatment is an important measure towards eliminating TB in low incidence countries, however, there are low rates of screening and treatment completion in the LTBI cascade of care. The authors hypothesized that an interferon-gamma release assay (IGRA) screening strategy would lead to a higher proportion of refugees completing LTBI screening and treatment, compared to sequential screening with tuberculin skin test (TST) and confirmatory IGRA. Refugees are at increased risk of developing tuberculosis (TB) soon after resettlement. Targeting high-risk populations for latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) screening and treatment is an important measure towards eliminating TB in low incidence countries, however, there are low rates of screening and treatment completion in the LTBI cascade of care. The authors hypothesized that an interferon-gamma release assay (IGRA) screening strategy would lead to a higher proportion of refugees completing LTBI screening and treatment, compared to sequential screening with tuberculin skin test (TST) and confirmatory IGRA.
This publication has no Abstract to dispaly
This study examined barriers that influence
access to and use of mental health services by Black youth in Alberta. Interviews and conversation café-style focus groups with the youth highlighted key barriers that can limit access to and utilization of
mental health services by Black youth, including a lack of cultural inclusion and safety, a lack of knowledge/information on mental health services, the cost of mental health services, geographical barriers, stigma and judgmentalism, and limits of resilience. Findings confirm diverse/intersecting barriers that collectively perpetuate disproportional access to and uptake of mental health services by Black youths. This study examined barriers that influence
access to and use of mental health services by Black youth in Alberta. Interviews and conversation café-style focus groups with the youth highlighted key barriers that can limit access to and utilization of
mental health services by Black youth, including a lack of cultural inclusion and safety, a lack of knowledge/information on mental health services, the cost of mental health services, geographical barriers, stigma and judgmentalism, and limits of resilience. Findings confirm diverse/intersecting barriers that collectively perpetuate disproportional access to and uptake of mental health services by Black youths.
This publication has no Abstract to dispaly
Evidence suggests that despite growing numbers of refugees entering Alberta each year, there
may not be enough counsellors equipped to provide helping services. Within the counselling context, refugees are identified as at risk for developing complex psychological challenges, requiring culturally sensitive counselling that incorporates diverse culture and language differences. This case study explored how three Alberta-based mental health professionals provide helpful counselling services to refugees and how they prepared to attain competencies and relevant experiences required for providing appropriate, culturally sensitive interventions to refugees. Evidence suggests that despite growing numbers of refugees entering Alberta each year, there
may not be enough counsellors equipped to provide helping services. Within the counselling context, refugees are identified as at risk for developing complex psychological challenges, requiring culturally sensitive counselling that incorporates diverse culture and language differences. This case study explored how three Alberta-based mental health professionals provide helpful counselling services to refugees and how they prepared to attain competencies and relevant experiences required for providing appropriate, culturally sensitive interventions to refugees.
This publication has no Abstract to dispaly
