Refugee Family Support Services (RFS)
In partnership with University of California, Davis (UC Davis), and funding from First 5 Sacramento, CIRH’s Sehat Initiative launched Refugee Family Support Services (RFS) to address the comprehensive wellness of refugee families and children, from basic needs of food and shelter to access to health and social services. The goal of the program is to connect newly arrived refugees with children ages prenatal through five to important services and support as they resettle in Sacramento County, California. Our support to refugee families includes but is not limited to:
General navigation services, spanning assistance completing applications and complex paperwork, making appointments and/or referrals to other resources, and assisting with transportation needs to connecting families to social and health services
Language support in Arabic, Pashto, Farsi, and Dari
Basic needs support
Housing vouchers (limited to emergency situations)
Health education: Culturally and linguistically responsive workshops on various health topics
Mental health assessments
Mental health support
Research
This project is led by Dr. Esra Saleh, MBBS, MPH, and supported by Dr. Sediq Hazratzai, MD, MPH at PHI, and Dr. Patrick Marius Koga, MD, MPH, FRSPH at UC Davis. The project ended in May 2024.
Our Impacts
From October 2022 to May 2024, the RFS project:
Served 118 clients;
Provided a total of 622 services, including navigation services, basic needs, mental health assessments, educational workshops, and housing vouchers)
Held 5 educational sessions through Zoom on topics such as mental health, child health, family planning, breast/cervical cancer screening, and adolescent health;
Provided 243 basic needs services, such as diapers, strollers, car seats, household items and gift cards;
To learn more about RFS’s impacts, read the impact report here.
Our Partners
RFS has effectively established connections with resettlement agencies, faith-based groups, and community-based organizations. These groups consist of, but are not limited to, Opening Doors Inc., the International Rescue Committee (IRC), the Muslim American Society—Social Services Foundation (MAS-SSF), Sacramento County Office of Education, Sacramento Food Bank, UC Davis MIND Institute, Dignity Health, and Elica Health Centers. Our valued partners offer expertise and support that not only successfully facilitates client referrals but also provides essential assistance.