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Newsletter | March 2023 | Edition 15 |
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How inclusive are services for immigrant families in Doña Ana County?
A study mapping supportive services, such as medical, mental health, early childhood, and other social services, accessible to immigrant families.
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Doña Ana County is rich in culture and history and world famous for its green chile. Located in the southcentral part of New Mexico, the county shares a border with Chihuahua, Mexico, and is home to over 35,000 immigrants. (1) The Census Bureau estimates that 17% of Doña Ana residents were born outside of the US, almost double the state average of 9%. In addition, many immigrant families have young children. Nearly one out of every three children under six years old in Doña Ana County live in an immigrant family. Immigrants have influenced the county's vibrant culture, added linguistic diversity, and have positively impacted the local economy. Immigrants play an essential role in our community, but how do county agencies serve this population?
The Center on Immigration and Child Welfare (CICW), with support from the Center for Community Analysis (CCA), mapped and surveyed agencies about the accessibility and inclusiveness of supportive services, such as medical, mental health, early childhood, and other social services, for immigrant families with young children in Doña Ana County.
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The county's unique geography helps illustrate the various factors that could make accessing services challenging. Features like mountains, immigration checkpoints, and unpaved, sometimes inaccessible roads isolate some communities, many of whom are immigrants. The county is extensive, encompassing a total area of 3,814 square miles, and stretches 90 miles from the north to the south. The research team identified 106 organizations offering supportive services, such as medical, mental health, early childhood, and other social services.
The team found that most services are physically located in Las Cruces, where half of the county population lives. Dramatically fewer organizations are located in more rural areas of the county, making access difficult. Residents in the far north of the county would have to drive 50 miles to Las Cruces to reach the nearest hospital in case of an emergency and cross an immigration checkpoint to return home.
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Interviews with Service Agencies |
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The research team conducted phone interviews to understand how organizations in Doña Ana County provide services to immigrant families. The interview consisted of 20 questions about the organization's policies and procedures for protecting confidential information, interactions with law enforcement and immigration officials, service eligibility and documentation requirements, language access, and immigrant-focused outreach and service provision. Interviewers also asked about the types of services the organizations provided. |
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Law Enforcement/ICE Interactions |
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Most organizations don't have policies prohibiting interaction with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). When asked if their organization has a protocol or policy prohibiting interaction with or sharing information with law enforcement and ICE regarding immigrant clients, more than half of the respondents (57%) answered "No." Of those who answered "Yes," nearly all (96%) trained staff on this policy or protocol.
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Only 26% of interviewees correctly identified their "protected area" status. Protected areas are places where enforcement actions of immigration agents, such as ICE officers, are restricted.
Although 95% of organizations interviewed are considered protected areas under federal policy, when asked if their organization was considered a "sensitive location/protected area," 40% were unsure.
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The data suggest that most organizations serving immigrants in Doña Ana have limited or no partnership with law enforcement and ICE, yet the majority do not know whether their organization is considered a safe space for immigrants. |
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Service Eligibility & Documentation Requirements |
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Nearly 70% of organizations do not require proof of citizenship for clients to obtain services. When asked how many services were available to undocumented immigrants, 81% of interviewees responded, "all services."
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Nearly two out of every three organizations reported having funds to support services for immigrants who may not otherwise qualify under federal policy requirements. 66% of organizations have the financial capability to provide their organization's specialties to immigrant families, while 24% did not, and 10% did not know. When organizations have or seek alternative funding sources to support services for immigrants, it helps eliminate what can otherwise be a huge barrier to essential services.
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Targeted Referrals, Case Management & Inter-Agency Collaboration |
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Most organizations reported implementing targeted referrals for clients they couldn't serve. Although the data indicate that most organizations serve immigrants and have the financial means to do so continually, there may be times when an agency comes across an immigrant client they cannot serve. In these instances, 93% of organizations reported referring the client elsewhere. |
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Language can significantly hinder service receipt experiences across various social and supportive services. Most organizations reported offering interpretation and translation services to immigrant clients.
While nearly all respondents provide interpretation services, organizations that provide health-related services must have written language access to receive federal funds, per the National Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services Standards. Two out of every three organizations reported having a written language access plan that spells out how to provide services to individuals who are non-English speaking or have limited English proficiency.
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Immigrant-Focused Trauma-Informed Service Provision
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Most organizations do not train staff on trauma-informed practice specific to immigrant families and experiences. Only 36% of organizations reported training staff on trauma-informed practice for immigrant clients. Ensuring that staff is trained on immigrant-specific trauma experiences can help improve outcomes as service provision and referrals can be better tailored to the unique needs and experiences of the immigrant client. |
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Immigrant-Focused Outreach & Trust Building |
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Building trust and conducting immigrant-focused outreach is essential for promoting equitable access to basic services. For example, community health workers, also known as promotoras, can significantly improve health and reduce health inequalities for immigrants as promotoras act as trusted messengers and build rapport with immigrant communities. Many organizations in Doña Ana County – 71% - do some outreach toward immigrant families and communities.
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What Factors Contribute to Immigrant Inclusion? |
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These findings have helped us understand if organizations in Doña Ana County use best practices for making access to services easier for immigrant families. For community organizations that may serve immigrants, implementing organizational policies and procedures that protect immigrant clients and expand access to the organization's services to immigrants regardless of legal status are essential for increasing responsiveness to immigrants' needs and circumstances. Ensuring staff is trained on these policies and other immigration-related issues is critical.
The CICW published a guide for service organizations and practitioners on increasing the inclusivity of immigrant families. The guide contains recommendations on organization-level policies and practices and individual/provider-level practices. You can learn more about the Center on Immigration and Child Welfare by visiting: https://cimmcw.org.
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cca.nmsu.edu | 575-646-3352 | ccadata@nmsu.edu
Institutional Effectiveness | New Mexico State University
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