Knowledge Mobilization for Settlement

It’s useful to understand how your clients look for, find, assess and act on information. In this interview, U of T Professor Nadia Caidi provides an overview of newcomer information seeking behaviour and practice. I interviewed Professor Caidi in 2018 for Findhelp’s online course Settlement Information and Referral Online Training Program.

At a workshop a couple of years ago, I asked a group of participants to break into groups and identify the top four things settlement workers need to know, top four skills that they must possess, and the top four work-related attitudes and behaviours in the era of digital service delivery. Interestingly, there wasn't much overlap between groups. This suggests the richness of human service work, as well as its complexity.

Many thanks to AMSSA in British Columbia for having me present this workshop to settlement and language workers across the province. I'm definitely not a marketing expert. But, like making technology, or any service choices, it all comes down to being strategic and knowing/understanding your client.

When asylum seekers and refugees are displaced, how do they use communication technologies to maintain links with friends and family during flight and forced migration? When they are detained, what role does technology play in the ways asylum seekers communicate with the "outside"?

In this study, the researcher sought to answer these questions: What motivates immigrants to use information and communication technology (ICT)? What are the factors that influence immigrants’ ICT behaviors?

This report discusses the implications of adding messaging apps to the range of communications channels currently used by humanitarian organizations, which includes face-to-face communication, print materials, SMS messaging, social media, radio and television.

The WES Gateway Program provides refugees with a high-quality credential evaluation report that is recognized and accepted by employers, higher-education institutions, and regulatory bodies throughout Canada.

The Welcome Group Program matches volunteer “Welcome Groups” of five or more volunteers with Government Assisted Refugees for settlement and integration support.

The Welcome Ambassador Program trains volunteers to run workshops within their social, professional, and volunteer networks to build cultural awareness skills; examine the understanding of their role in systemic oppression; develop skills and knowledge around power, privilege and ally-ship; develop knowledge and awareness about refugee newcomers; and participate actively in making Nova Scotia a more welcoming and inclusive province.