Supporting Government Assisted Refugees: A Coordinated Service Delivery Model
During this workshop participants will become better informed about the Resettlement Assistance Program (RAP), the Life Skills Program and the Client Support Service (CSS) Pilot Project. The issues and needs of Government Assisted Refugee youth and adults will be examined and best practices about service coordination and delivery will be presented. The workshop will include:
Yasmine Dossal is the Director of Social Services at COSTI Immigrant Services. She oversees the administration of a large division that provides multiple services to refugees and newcomers to Canada, with particular focus on women, youth and seniors. She is also responsible for a number of community development programs offered across the province of Ontario, such as the Problem Gambling Program, as well as the coordination of the Job Search Workshops program, a pre-employment program offered to newcomer immigrants and refugees. Yasmine’s current community involvements include, among others, being a Board member of the Social Planning Council of York Region, member of the CCR Settlement and Immigration committee, member on the Woman Abuse Council and member of the United Way York Region Coalition Committee.
Donna Morrison currently works as the Interim Manager of the Client Support Services Project, a project funded by CIC and coordinated by the YMCA of Greater Toronto. As Coordinator of the CSS project, the YMCA provides support in tracking and reporting, database development, communication and information sharing and supporting innovation of the six project delivery sites across Ontario. Donna joined the YMCA Toronto Language Assessment & Referral Centre in 1997 as an assessor providing leadership to the Scarborough team in 1999 for eight years managing this office to meet the needs of a growing newcomer community in the Scarborough region. Recently she was working as Outreach Coordinator for the Language Assessment Centre working with Language Service Providers and community agencies within the GTA to promote assessment services as well coordinating the Volunteer Development initiative for the YMCA Newcomer program unit providing leadership in training and volunteer data base management.
