Immigrant and International Advisory Council
The Immigrant and International Advisory Council was established to advise the Director and Executive Staff of the Department of Human Services regarding the human service needs of immigrant and international county residents. Representing diverse groups in Allegheny County, the Advisory Council identifies issues of concern, important changes in needs of the immigrant and international community and general ideas for improving the Department’s mission to be culturally competent and inclusive.
Members
The Advisory Council is comprised of members of the immigrant and international communities, consumers of DHS services, and representatives of service provider agencies that work with the immigrant and international communities.
Membership Terms
Advisory Council members, recommended by members of the international and immigrant community and appointed by the Allegheny County Department of Human Services, commit to serving on the Advisory Council without compensation for a term of two years. After this two-year term, membership may be renewed. Any member who misses two or more quarterly meetings in one year without just cause may be removed from the Advisory Council.
Members will collectively identify issues and make recommendations to DHS for improving outreach and human service delivery to immigrants and internationals. They agree to serve as a channel for two-way communications between the Allegheny County Department of Human Services and the Immigrant and International Community. They will:
- Obtain input from and identify human service issues of immigrant and international consumers
- Bring human service needs of the immigrant and international community to the Advisory Council
- Work to develop recommendations for DHS to address issues of concern
- Share Department of Human Services information with the community
Agendas
October 2011
July 2011
April 2011
January 2011
October 2010
July 2010
April 2010
January 2010
October 2009
July 2009
April 2009
January 2009
October 2008
Officers
The officers of the Advisory Council are two Co-Chairs, of whom one must be an immigrant or international. Working with the DHS staff, they preside at meetings and provide direction. They assist DHS staff in planning agendas for the quarterly meetings by collecting and conveying agenda items proposed by the Advisory Council.
Structure
The Allegheny County Department of Human Services calls quarterly meetings of the Advisory Council (January, April, July, and October). In the interim the Advisory Council may hold committee meetings to gather information about various human service issues and concerns, work with DHS and other community members to address them, and develop recommendations. To gain greater insight into the issues facing the immigrant and international community and develop recommendations, Advisory Council members may invite and encourage other community members to participate in these Committee meetings.
Administrative Oversight
The Allegheny County Department of Human Services is responsible for the overall notification and distribution of minutes for the Advisory Council meetings. All meeting minutes and formal documents will be kept on file at the Allegheny County Department of Human Services.
Committees
The Advisory Council has developed committees to address several human service needs:
The Interpretation and Translation Committee works to improve DHS capacity to serve individuals with Limited English Proficiency and has focused on working to development of a community language bank to serve the broader community, including providers and consumers of human services, healthcare, education and legal services.
The Cultural Competency Committee has developed and provides immigrant-led cultural competency training for DHS staff and contracted providers.
The Refugee Career Mentoring Committee is working to develop a mentor-supported workforce development program to assist refugees with higher education and skills in finding work opportunities with career paths and recertification so that they can contribute their skills to our regional workforce.
The COMPASS AmeriCorps Project, in conjunction with the Greater Pittsburgh Literacy Council, began in September 2010 and currently deploys 15 AmeriCorps members to work with immigrant-serving agencies to provide support for the on-going social service needs of immigrants and refugees.
The Youth Committee is working to expand existing youth support and career development programs to serve the specific needs of immigrant and refugee youth.
The Foster Care, Prevention and Family Support Committee is working to improve culturally appropriate foster care and prevention services for children and families.
Roster (November 2011)
Susana Abalos, Latino Family Center
Jackie Abel-Stavropoulos, Goodwill Literacy Initiative
Yinka Aganga-Williams, AJAPO
Leslie Aizenman, Jewish Family and Children’s Services, Refugee Services
Samaria Arzola, Latino Family Support Center
Mary Carrasco, Mercy Hospital, International and Community Health
Riffat Chughtai, Pittsburgh Muslim Family Support
Adriana Dobrzycka, Vibrant Pittsburgh, co-chair
Najlaa Ebrahim, Greater Pittsburgh Literacy Council
Rufus Idris, Union of African Communities in Pittsburgh & Allegheny County
Dylanna Jackson, Northern Area Companies, Community Assistance and Refugee Resettlement
Danis Kubiak, Allegheny Intermediate Unit, K-12 ESL
Lindsay Losasso, Squirrel Hill Health Center, co-chair
Courtney Macurak, Prospect Park Family Center
Doug Masiroff, Greater Pittsburgh Literacy Council
Khadra Mohammed, Pittsburgh Refugee Center
Cathy Niebel, Catholic Charities, Refugee Resettlement
Natasha Novikova, Mercy Behavioral Health
Charles Odah, DHS Staff
Leon Pamphile, Functional Literacy Ministry
Andy Pugh
Mi Ran Surh, Emmaus Community
Khara Timsina, Bhutanese Community
Wen-Ching Yang, Chinese-Americans in Pittsburgh
Barbara Murock, DHS Project Manager
Resources for Immigrants and Internationals