Refugee Patient Navigator Volunteers Needed!

Be a Patient Navigator Volunteer for local refugees!

The Albany Field Office of the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI Albany) seeks committed volunteers to transport and advocate for new clients to their initial U.S. health appointments. As a population who have often faced war-related injuries, untreated chronic illnesses, psychological trauma, and malnutrition, our clients benefit greatly when their healthcare is both thorough and accessible. Although language and cultural barriers can make it more difficult for immigrants to understand the structure of our healthcare system, our Refugee Health Navigator Program decreases barriers by pairing refugees with trained and knowledgeable volunteers who can guide them through their initial first contact with U.S. healthcare system.

As a Patient Navigator Volunteer (PNV), you will be trained to provide transportation and on-site advocacy at required initial health appointments. You will help us to increase the percentage of refugees who attend their initial health appointments, as well as help to guarantee that their first exposure to the U.S. healthcare system is a positive experience. Be an advocate for better healthcare across cultures and become a Patient Navigator Volunteer today! We hope that you can make it to one of the Patient Navigator Volunteer Training sessions.

ABOUT USCRI

The U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants has been helping people flee war and persecution since 1911. USCRI addresses the needs and rights of persons in forced or voluntary migration worldwide by advancing fair and humane public policy, facilitating and providing direct professional services, and promoting the full participation of migrants in community life.

Through its network of resettlement field offices and partner organizations, USCRI provides refugees and immigrants across the United States with the support, services and opportunities they need to rebuild their lives and enrich their communities.

The USCRI field office in Albany opened in 2005 and now resettles hundreds of refugee families every year in the Capital Region of New York State. The largest populations served by the Albany field office are from Burma, Iraq, and Bhutan, with others coming from the Congo, Sudan, Eritrea, Afghanistan, and the former Soviet Union. USCRI Albany focuses on meeting the immediate basic needs of new arrivals, assisting refugees in obtaining early employment, achieving self-sufficiency, and nurturing community integration for new Americans.

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

We are looking for volunteers who are:

• Dependable
• Willing to donate a flexible six hours per month on weekday mornings
• Ready to attend a general USCRI Volunteer Orientation and a program training
• Willing to undergo a background check

EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS

REQUIRED

• Driver's license
• Up to date automobile insurance
• Interest in immigrant rights, communicating across cultures, and equitable health care