Catalyzing service providers’ potential to enhance immigrants’ social occupational possibilities

Abstract

ABSTRACT With the ongoing arrival of immigrants and refugees to Canada, service providers play a pivotal role in offering occupational opportunities as a means of supporting integration within the host communities. However, few studies have adopted an occupational lens to explore service providers’ perspectives on their roles. In this study, we explored service provider perspectives on their role in providing social occupational opportunities for immigrants, and the barriers and promising practices that influence this role. A secondary analysis was conducted of 20 semi-structured interviews held with stakeholders from organizations that operated within the Lower Mainland of British Columbia, Canada. Findings highlighted three main themes: 1) service providers are restricted in their capacity to provide social opportunities for immigrants; 2) barriers experienced by service providers emphasize a focus on economic integration; and 3) service providers utilize volunteering to provide social opportunities and build immigrants’ networks and skills. Resulting themes illustrate that institutional barriers emphasizing economic integration restrict the capacity of service providers to provide social occupations that are key for facilitating resettlement. This warrants critical questioning of current policies governing the Canadian settlement services sector.