Paper Project
Running head: COMMUNITY LEVEL BARRIERS 1
COMMUNITY LEVEL BARRIERS 8
Community Level Barriers
James Miller
HCA430 Special Populations
Instructor: Jennifer Maves
October 16, 2017)
Community Level Barriers
Introduction
The proposed program is aimed at providing legal services to immigrants and refugees in the local community. It is intended to make arrangements for their documentation so that they can easily access proper medical care, and encourage their participation in economic activities through making formal applications to state institutions, to foster entrepreneurship. The financial constraints and lack of documentation pose a big challenge to the population’s access to high quality healthcare services and a decent life. The legal plan will encourage documentation of the group, which will help them overcome socioeconomic and medical issues affecting them since documentation is a major requirement to overcome these challenges.
Proposed program description
The proposed program will offer legal services to immigrants and refugees. The scope of the program includes facilitating the acquisition of identification documents, work and health permits, and healthcare documentation forms. The objective of the program is to assist immigrants and refugees get appropriate documentation that will enable them to access services that their undocumented status disadvantage them from accessing such as medical services. The program also seeks to enable the two groups to participate in socioeconomic activities such as trade to endow them the capacity to sustain themselves economically, especially the refugees.
Barriers to receiving Proper Care
Refugees and immigrants have financial challenges in the community. Most refugees fled from their home countries and did not have enough time to organize their finances while others lost their properties to the aggressors. Immigrants on the other side are majorly seekers of better opportunities in the host community, and are fleeing from socioeconomic constraints in their home countries. In the host country, these two groups have difficulties in establishing financial stability due to adaptability and legal setbacks that include documentation. Immigrants are not entitled to host-country support hence they are likely to run out of money before they settle financially. The financial challenges make it difficult for the two groups to access standard health services and a decent lifestyle.
Bureaucratic State Policies
Immigrants and refugees are regarded as foreigners in the host country. Many states have bureaucratic policies that limit immigrants’ and refugees’ access to medical care and socioeconomic privileges granted to the citizens (Hacker, Anies, Folb&Zallman, 2015). For instance, refugees are generally restrained in camps. They cannot go out to seek high quality medical care due to legal restrictions and financial setbacks. They thus have to rely on the provided medical aid in the camps, which are often low quality and only offer basic medical services. Immigrants and refugees are not entitled to medical programs such as the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) or Medicare that are available to the host country citizens due to the government’s bureaucratic policies.
Discrimination and Ignorance
Many immigrants and refugees have difficulties in coping and getting along with the host-country residents. Barriers such as cultural differences, religious stereotyping, and language barrier are examples of issues that can lead to discrimination of refugees and immigrants by the host community. Discrimination and language barrier can significantly limit the two-faction’s access to medical care, and ease of conducting economic activities. Further, their ignorance of how to conduct business, and lack of understanding of the nature of diseases largely limits their access to medical services, and participation in economic activities (Wieland et al., 2013).
Potential Solutions to Barriers
Solutions to Financial Constraints
The solution to individual financial challenges facing the two groups involves the initiation of economic stimulus programs for individual immigrants and refugees who are most disadvantaged financially. Based on their skills, individuals can be assisted to find jobs in the host country through making formal requests to stakeholders in the relevant organizations of interest (Gest, et al., 2014). Those who will not fit in the job market will be trained and funded to start businesses that they can operate effectively.
How to Overcome the Challenges of Bureaucratic Policies
Bureaucratic policy challenges can be overcome by engaging state agencies in negotiations to allow refugees and immigrants to be considered in healthcare programs and insurance plans. State institutions will be requested to reduce the period of time required for the immigrants to be documented and recognized as citizens (Gest, et al., 2014). A request will be made to allow for the recognition of refugees and immigrants, and to incorporate them into the health system and the economic sector. This will be after proper documentation so that they can access medical services, and be allowed to participate in economic activities like the citizens even if they will be considered as non-citizens for the time that they will be in the host community.
How to Overcome Challenges resulting from Ignorance and Discrimination
The program includes engaging social service organizations such as churches and not-for profit organizations to join in appealing to the public to appreciate and welcome immigrants and refugees. Those who do not understand the language spoken in the community will be taught the main language through engaging with stakeholders such as the community’s education officers (Francis & Yan, 2016). The educational program will also focus on enlightening the uneducated immigrants and refugees on diseases and health issues, and how to operate businesses.
Analysis of Regulatory, Legal, Ethical and Accreditation Requirements
The legal requirements for this program include compliance with laws such as the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act of 2001. Under this Act, the program is required to elaborate its scope and targets, as to whether it falls under the mandate of private sponsorship groups or it is connected directly to the federal government (Weissbrodt, Danielson& Myers, 2017). The ethical requirements involve treatment of the refugees and immigrant with dignity and respect as humans, and upholding their fundamental rights and freedoms. The program will uphold and protect the self-esteem of the group, and will include appropriate measures to be taken against those who will have violated their rights. Conformity to accreditation requirements will involve formally registering the plan with relevant institutions such as the United States Department of Housing and Development, the Public Housing Agencies, the Department of Health, and the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
Conclusion
The plan to offer immigrants and refugees legal services mainly focuses on enabling them to access proper medical services, and to empower them socioeconomically. The main barriers that prevent immigrants and refugees from accessing high quality care are: individual financial constraints, bureaucratic policies, and discrimination and ignorance. These challenges can be overcome by formally lobbying for their socioeconomic empowerment, and recognition as part of the community. They will also be educated through the local education officials. The regulatory requirements for this plan include conformity to state legislation, upholding the dignity of the target population, and registering the plan with relevant state agencies.
References
Francis, J., & Yan, M. (2016). Bridging the gaps: access to formal support services among young African immigrants and refugees in Metro Vancouver. Canadian Ethnic Studies Journal, (1), 77-100.
Gest, J., Boucher, A., Challen, S., Burgoon, B., Thielemann, E., Beine, M., ...&Hiscox, M. (2014). Measuring and comparing immigration, asylum and naturalization policies across countries: Challenges and solutions. Global Policy, 5(3), 261-274.
Hacker, K., Anies, M., Folb, B. L., &Zallman, L. (2015). Barriers to health care for undocumented immigrants: a literature review. Risk management and healthcare policy, 8, 175-183.
Weissbrodt, D., Danielson, L., & Myers, H. (2017). Immigration law and procedure in a nutshell. New York: West Academic.
Wieland, M. L., Nelson, J., Palmer, T., O'Hara, C., Weis, J. A., Nigon, J. A., &Sia, I. G. (2013). Evaluation of a tuberculosis education video among immigrants and refugees at an adult education center: a community-based participatory approach. Journal of health communication, 18(3), 343-353.