Refugee Immigration Ministry

1. Refugee Immigration Ministry “Building Community With Uprooted People to Serve the Common Good.”

2. Refugee Immigration Ministry Developing Our Spiritual Care Giver’s Program RIM began in 1986 as a ministry to detainees.

3. Spiritual Care Givers are trained to… • Visit detained immigrants • Offer the gift of listening • Offer Spiritual Care appropriate for detained persons • Bring hope out of isolation • Help a person tap inner resources

4. Refugee Immigration MinistryStarting Our Training Program • A Multi-discipline committee • Conversation and buy-in from ICE • Buy-in from faith-group leadership • Meetings with facilities early in planning • Including ICE and COEs in training

5. Steps To Building SCG Program • Building Your Training Team • Recruiting Trainees • Planning A Training Schedule • Inviting speakers for various topics • Supporting Volunteers • Administrative Procedures

6. Buildinga Training Team • What is needed? • Small Group Leaders (Identify 4-6 months in advance so people have time to schedule 8 training sessions.) • Speakers (Identify 3-4 months in advance, provide directions, a copy of the training manual and schedule) • Outside speakers broaden the community investment • Help build networks with other providers

7. Subjects Loneliness Separation Shame and Guilt Grief Depression Trauma Suicide Family Systems Violence: Sexual Assault, Domestic Violence, Racism Operational Issues Legal INS Prison Culture Prison Regulations Faith Issues Faith Rituals Spirituality of Healing Interfaith Ministry Training Components

8. Active Listening Skills Heart of the training Can be transforming for trainees Need practice in role play Builds the team Is interactive Self-Care Essential for good service delivery Encouraged strongly In-Service Retreat Saturday session to focus on issues Small groups required Training Components cont.

9. Tips for Finding Speakers • What organization can help you identify interested people with expertise? • Who on the Planning Team or last year’s trainees can help with this? • For example: Can you get a Pastoral Counseling Center to co-sponsor? • Are there hospital chaplains in your area? Military? Prison?Retired? • Trauma Therapists

10. Recruiting Trainees • Complete application • Participate in an interview • Take 30 hours of training • Participate in an ongoing small group • Participate in ongoing visitation • Participate in in-service training • Maintains confidentiality, respects facility rules and keeps good boundaries

11. Selection and Participation Issues • Spiritual Care Givers may not have prior felony convictions. • SCGs will agree to adhere to all prison and ICE rules and regulations when in the facilities. • SCGs will not participate in advocacy efforts in the same community where they are SCGs.

12. Selection and Participation Issues: • Will work with all faiths • All SCGs will sign a non-proselytizing agreement and a confidentiality agreement. • All SCGs will the highest level of confidentiality and professional conduct.

13. Interviews • Need to be done by trainers, face-to-face to screen dysfunctional applicants • Helps welcome trainee to the group • Helps plan for the small groups • References must be checked

14. Management of Training Small Groups • Try to make groups diverse • Help people deal with their own material, share with others and build the team Evaluation of Trainees is on-going • At interview • During training • During colleague groups Feedback is essential • Must be given to promote learning

15. Task List • Interviewing Prospective Trainees • Additional Articles for reading requested • Set up and handle lending library • Set up Small Groups • Schedule devotions • Plan for snacks, including light supper opening night. • Music on arrival • Role Play Cards for final weeks of training • Equipment to tape sessions • Hosting speakers • Teaching listening skills: Requires 7 pairings to explain, demonstrate and guide practice. • Identify small group leaders

16. Support of Volunteers 1. The importance of team formation • Role Play • Small group sharing 2. Follow up • In-service training • Support groups (Participation required for continued visitation) 3. Sharing Faith Resources • Opening Meditation • Sharing of Rituals

17. Support of Volunteers cont. • 4. Debriefing and Processing of sessions • 5. Journals • 6. Staff feedback to volunteers

18. Support of Volunteers cont. • 7. Prison Visits • Respect for Prison Rules is Required • Background Check is often Required • 8. Installation and Recognition • Tracking Hours • Group Participation • 9. An annual retreat

19. Public Relations • Regional Offices of Denominations • Council of Churches • Press Release to religions press • Academic Institutions • General Press release • TV- Announcements • Congregations • Ethnic Organizations

20. Fund Raising • Building your support base • Who are your constituents? • What are the interests of constituents which can be met by this program?

21. Values Underlying Project Development Recognizing that solace in religion is beneficial to all, the spiritual care project seeks to: • Provide appropriate spiritual care for all detainees as desired • Exhibit respect for all faith traditions • Provide clinically and professionally trained and accountable spiritual care givers • Develop an authentically collaborative and respectful relationship with the ICE • Provide spiritual care for the whole institution (detainees and staff) • Develop a sense of community

22. Values cont. • Validate present programs and, if suitable, complement them by the addition of the spiritual care givers program • Eliminate individual isolation (within the institution) of staff. • Link detainees and staff to faith communities • Facilitate community integration • Practice authentic spiritual discipline as foundation and motivation of the project • Encourage inclusivity and diversity among the participants.

23. Volunteer Recognition • Each person who completes training is given a certificate of completion. • Second level of certification given when: • Completion of 12 months of visitation • Interview with training director

24. Acknowledgements • Refugee Immigration Ministry gratefully acknowledges the input and support given by: • Church World Service • Episcopal Migration Ministries • Lutheran Immigration Refugee Service • Presbyterian Disaster Assistance • United Methodist Committee on Relief • Jesuit Refugee Service

25. Resources Available from RIM • RIM can arrange for onsite consultation as program is built • You may order copies of training manual • RIM may assist with planning, training and recognition on site • RIM will welcome anyone who wants to take the training in Boston • Phone consultation is available

26. Refugee Immigration Ministry 119 Exchange Street Malden, MA 02148 Phone: 781-322-1011 Fax: 781-322-1013 E-Mail: ruth.rim@verizon.net Web-site: www.r-i-m.net

27. We Can Make a Difference! The human spirit can endure almost anything except the sense that the world has forgotten him or her and has no concern for what is happening. Bruno Bettleheim