Abstract

As newly resettled refugees integrate into their new communities they often receive services from nonprofit organizations to supplement government assistance. However, there has been little research regarding how nonprofit service providers and refugees interact with one another and perceive these interactions. This qualitative study uses data gathered from 60 first-person, open-ended interviews with refugees and nonprofit service providers to fill this gap. The research questions are: How do refugees being served by nonprofits express their perceptions of the services they receive to nonprofit service providers? To what extent do refugees feel that nonprofit service providers are responsive to their needs? And, how do nonprofit staff and volunteers report responding to the needs of their refugee clients? This article is framed using empowerment theory, where refugee needs and perspectives are at the forefront of service provision decisions

Highlights

  • As of the writing of this article, the number of refugees being admitted into the United States is the lowest it has been since 1980 (Siegler, 2019)

  • 51 refugee resettlement programs have closed in recent years; and, an additional 41 programs across 23 states have suspended their work (RCUSA, 2019)

  • For those working in the field of refugee resettlement, these numbers are alarming; and, the future remains uncertain

Read more

Summary

Objectives

Demonstrated the value of examining nonprofit service provision in a way that focuses on the impacts and perspectives of clients, rather than on the perspectives of the organizations providing services (e.g., Adler & Clark, 2008; Balser & McClusky, 2005; Kettner, Moroney, & Martin, 2017; Zammuto, 1984). This study aims to address this gap. The primary goals of this study were to better understand interactions between refugees and nonprofit service providers as well as refugee perceptions of services

Methods
Results
Conclusion
Full Text
Published version (Free)

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call