Recognizing And Responding To Individuals At Risk - Assignment Example

Name Instructor Course Date Helping Immigrants Question 1 Mahmoud, a 20-year-old immigrant from Syria living in Australia, is facing many of the problems that refugees encounter in their newfound home. To begin with, he is lonely mostly due to lack of social networks, loss of identity, and loss of family and friends. The problem is further compounded by his limited comprehension of English that makes it difficult for him to express himself freely with others. Also, he has discounted himself from school due to learning difficulties that he attributes to problems with the English language. He also seems to be unemployed thus likely not able to cater for his needs. All these factors combined make refugees or asylum seekers just like Mahmoud develop feelings of loneliness and isolation. Notably, isolation is often associated with increased mortality and reduced quality of life. Moreover, Mahmoud should be helped to overcome their challenges. Question 2 My initial contact with Mahmoud would enable me to assist in the best way possible as the interaction provided me with firsthand information on the problems afflicting him. Since he is lonely, I would get him linked with a friend or mentor to provide him with emotional and practical support. As a result, he would have someone who he can talk to regularly, listen and help him to integrate with the community as well as solve the problems he might be facing. Secondly, I would access the quality of the hostel that he resides in as most cases refugees live in poor-quality or inappropriate accommodation. Subsequently, if the shelter were found to be of poor quality, I would initiate measures to have him move to a better place. Similarly, I would also make sure Mahmoud gets access to mainstream services such as a medical facility when he is sick. Since he is not well versed in English, which affects his interaction with others, I would enroll him in an English class to enhance his grasp of the language, and then reenroll him back to college so that he may complete his course. Question 3 Due to cultural differences, I would have to consider some things in my interactions with Mahmoud. To begin with, most Iranians are deeply religious and follow the teachings of Islam to the letter. For example, Muslims are supposed to pray five times a day that is at the crack of dawn, noon, afternoon, close of day, and evening (Pennington para. 1). Also, Fridays are their holy day that is set aside for prayer. Nonetheless, Muslims are not exempted from working on Fridays, but majorities feel it is their day of rest. Prayer activities usually take place at noon, and some Muslims may opt to complete the day’s work before leaving for prayers whereas some may return to the office after the service is over. For this reason, I would ensure that I do not plan for activities that fall on Friday as well provide him with ample time to pray. In Iran, the concept of family is more private compared to other societies. It is important to note that they protect females always and it is improper to ask questions about a person’s spouse or other female relatives (Iran Guide n.p.). Individuals also derive social network and aid in dire situations from their families. Arguably, most refugees usually lose their families and love ones during civil wars and a social worker may be tempted to ask them many questions to try to locate and reunite them. However, before jumping to ask Mahmoud questions concerning his family, I would make it clear that my motive is to assist him find them and possibly connect them once again. That way, Mahmoud would be more comfortable to divulge necessary information about his family to me. Additionally, Iranians have private and public identities, which affect how they express themselves or their level of openness. When they are in public, they usually conform to accepted modes of behaviours whereas they tend to be free with their families or their inner circles that belong to their social or business network (Iran Guide n.p.). Therefore, it is expected that initially, Mahmoud may not openly express his problems or challenges to me. Moreover, I would have to be patience as I cultivate a personal relationship with him. The other thing that can affect my interaction with Mahmoud is my choice of dressing as Iranians usually judge people based on appearance. It is recommended that a person dresses appropriately when meeting an Iranian and the venue of the meeting preferably be a standard hotel (Iran Guide n.p.). Besides, ample time would be allocated for meetings to cultivate trust with the subject. Question 4 I would be forced to employ key skills and strategies to encourage Mahmoud to communicate freely with me. As it has been earlier mentioned, it is likely that Mahmoud would only open up to me based on how he perceives me. Therefore, I would have to develop a personal relationship with him, which would then make our communication easier with time. I would also express empathy by seeing things from his point of view, thus be able to deal with his concerns as he presents them. Biggs and Gerald explain that empathy is entering the perceptual world of the other and becoming thoroughly comfortable in it (91). They explain that it involves being sensitive to the changing feelings that flow in the person we are communicating with without being judgmental. Moreover, the use of empathy in interactions helps cultivate relationships, encourage self-exploration, provide help, check understanding, assist communication and give attention to the victim. To achieve understanding, a person should desist from asking improper questions, using clichés, making interpretations, parroting, and pretending to understand when he is not. At the onset, I would state my intentions to Mahmoud so has to gain his trust. Failure to disclose my intentions may make him uncomfortable which may affect our communication (Bloom and Bloom para. 13.). Besides, I would speak in ways that promote openness, safety, trust, and respect. Furthermore, I would seek to understand Mahmoud first before explaining and justifying my position. All these actions aim at making him feel comfortable. Dinardo explains that one of the ways to get people to open up is through asking them more questions (n.p.). She claims that by asking thoughtful questions, individuals demonstrate their focus and genuine care of others well-being. However, I would be careful not to ask sensitive issues that may negatively affect the subject. Also, I would listen to Mahmoud answers without interrupting and ask more follow up questions when his answers are vague. Question 5 Arguably, refugees are usually worried about their relatives back home and may want to contact them. Luckily, organizations like The Red Cross and International Services provide family tracing services, which I would, advice, Mahmoud to seek. Red Cross usually help refugees in sending messages to relatives where there are no formal means of communication and in checking the welfare of relatives overseas and assist in providing immigrants (Australian Red Cross n.p.). Sometimes, Red Cross may not be able to facilitate family reunification directly but usually advise individuals where they can locate them by referring them to relevant government authorities and other organizations that provide help. However, I would make sure that I support him if his family members cannot be traced or have been killed. I would encourage Mahmoud to apply for Protection Visa and apply for the Newstart allowance, which would help him meet his daily needs. To qualify for the Newstart allowance, Mahmoud would be required to meet certain requirements such as willingness to participate in activities that increase his chances of finding work. Usually, refugees who qualify for the Newstart allowance receive a fortnight allowance of $573 fortnightly. Question 6 1. AMES Australia: established in 1951, this organization offers settlement support programs, English language and vocational training, jobs and voluntary services to immigrants and refugees. 2. Humanitarian Settlement Services provides early support to refugees on arrival and throughout their settlement period 3. Red Cross: this organization would be instrumental in helping Mahmoud trace his family and relatives. 4. Settlement Services International: it provides early intervention programs for migrant and refugee families to enable them to adjust in the new country. 5. Harmony Place: a non-governmental organization that strengthens the well-being of refugees and immigrants. Question 7 1. English language and vocational training programs: through this program, Mahmoud would be able to learn how to speak English fluently which would improve his communication. 2. Family connection programs: this would enable him to trace his family and relatives wherever they are. Works Cited Australian Red Cross. Migration Services & Support Programs . Redcross.org.au. N.p., 2016. Web. Bloom, Charlie and Linda Bloom. "12 Steps to Getting Someone To Open Up". Psychology Today. N.p., 2016. Web. Buckmaster, Luke. "Australian Government Assistance To Refugees: Fact V Fiction". Aph.gov.au. N.p., 2016. Web. Biggs, Donald A and Gerald Porter. Dictionary of Counseling. Westport, Conn., Greenwood Press, 2005. Dinardo, Perry. "How Healthcare Professionals Can Encourage Patients To Speak Up". Gold-foundation.org. N.p., 2014. Web. Iran Guide. Iran - Language, Culture, Customs, and Etiquette. Commisceo-Global.Com, 2016, http://www.commisceo-global.com/country-guides/iran-guide. Read More