The Call-Centre: a child welfare liaison program with immigrant serving agencies

Area of Science:

• Social Work
• Immigration Studies
• Public Health

Background:

• Alberta, Canada, saw significant immigration in 2003, with Calgary as a primary destination.
• New immigrants often face challenges such as language barriers, cultural adjustment, and economic instability.
• Lack of established support networks exacerbates these difficulties for immigrant and refugee families.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the development and implementation of a Call-Centre pilot project by the Calgary and Area Child and Family Services Authority (CFSA).
• To provide CFSA staff with a centralized resource for information on immigrant families, their cultural backgrounds, and available services.
• To outline the initial phase of the evaluation of the Call-Centre by University of Calgary researchers.

Main Methods:

• Collaboration between CFSA and Immigrant Serving Agencies to develop guidelines.
• Establishment of a pilot Call-Centre as a one-stop contact for staff.
• Initiation of an evaluation study by researchers at the University of Calgary.

Main Results:

• The Call-Centre was developed to assist staff in understanding and serving diverse cultural groups.
• It provides a single point of contact for information regarding immigrant and refugee families and culturally appropriate resources.
• The project is currently undergoing evaluation, with plans for future expansion.

Conclusions:

• The Call-Centre pilot project represents a proactive approach to supporting immigrant and refugee families in Calgary.
• This initiative aims to improve the delivery of culturally sensitive services to a growing diverse population.
• The ongoing evaluation will inform the broader implementation of this support system across the region.