USCRI ERIE

The USCRI Erie field office, formerly the International Institute of Erie (IIE), has been welcoming and supporting newcomers to Erie, Pennsylvania since 1919. In 2009, IIE formally joined USCRI as a field office. Refugees resettled in Erie come primarily from Bhutan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Eritrea, Iraq, Russia, Somalia, Syria, and Ukraine. Newly arrived refugees receive a comprehensive set of services including housing placement, cultural orientation, school enrollment, coordination of initial health appointments, and employment preparation and placement.

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Contact

Director: Ashley Lawson

Phone: 814-452-3935
Fax: 814-452-3318

Email: [email protected]

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SERVICES

Employment, Housing and Interpreting: These services are offered to refugees and survivors of trafficking to help them get back on their feet as quickly as possible.
Legal: The Immigration Legal Services Program offers low-cost, professional legal representation to low-income refugees and immigrants and their families with family- and humanitarian-based immigration matters.
Health and Mental Health: Health services and mental health counseling are provided to refugees, immigrants, unaccompanied minors and survivors of trafficking.
Social Services: Social services may include family support, matching grants, employment, and intensive case management.

The Keystone Connections Program

The Keystone Connections program will address shortages and gaps in access to culturally competent mental health services in Pennsylvania with priority to refugees in their first or second year of arrival. Individuals with ORR-eligibility, admitted as refugees, asylees, parolees, SIV status, as well as Cuban and Haitian entrants, certain Amerasians, and certified victims of human trafficking (hereafter referred to as refugees) are eligible for the program up to 60 months. Individuals of any nationality are welcome to participate, however the Keystone Connections program will prioritize clients from the following countries Afghanistan, Colombia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ecuador, Ethiopia, Honduras, Somalia, Syria, and Ukraine, who comprise the majority of the agencies’ current caseload, and will also prioritize individuals with the most pressing, persistent, or underserved mental health needs.

In the wake of the evacuation of Afghanistan, the on-going COVID-19 pandemic, and the current war in Ukraine, USCRI Erie and its partners in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, have identified common challenges that can be addressed as a team across the Commonwealth. These challenges include a shortage of trauma-informed and culturally-sensitive mental health providers who are familiar with refugee issues, necessitating long wait times for services, a shortage of interpreters who are prepared for working in mental health environments, a wider circle of school districts that are unfamiliar with enrolling and serving refugee youth, and an overall need for building refugee relationships and support structures in targeted communities.

The Keystone Connections project will create an infrastructure of training, care, refugee empowerment, and technology that leverages the agencies’ existing services for greater mental health impacts through the Commonwealth.

A 3-part program structure will mirror the program priorities of the 20-20 Lot 2 RFA to: (1) Increase Mental Health Literacy aimed at training for mental health service providers, interpreters, wellness liaisons, and school districts; (2) Coordinate Mental Health Care (including a new telehealth option) that is trauma-informed, culturally-sensitive, and linguistically accessible for refugee program participants; and (3) Organize Wellness Groups that reduce common barriers and stigmas surrounding mental health, empowering refugees with healthy behaviors that help them to achieve and maintain household stability. This more diverse and equitable mental health infrastructure will support Pennsylvania’s refugee arrivals as they adjust to their new communities in the Commonwealth, so they can thrive for generations into the future.

VOLUNTEER

There are several ways to volunteer, either locally or through a fundraiser or campaign.

Find a local field office near you or check out our ongoing fundraisers and sponsorships to see how you can help. We also participate in corporate sponsorships.

For inquiries about volunteering at USCRI Erie, email us at:

[email protected].

Please, include an area of interest from the list below: