After being persecuted and exiled from their home countries, refugee families come to the United States in search of a better, more peaceful life.

Upon arrival, refugees learn to speak English, and get help with finding a job and a place to live. But culture shock and previous traumatic experiences are stressors that leave refugees at greater risk of domestic violence, divorce, coping, or feelings of abandonment.

The Refugee Family Strengthening Program eases the resettlement process by teaching refugees how to communicate and resolve conflict.

Empowering Refugees
The Refugee Family Strengthening Program is designed to develop and maintain strong couple and family ties as refugees and asylees experience their first years in the United States. This can be a time of great reward, but it can also be a time of confusion and frustration.

Through this program, Jewish Family Service offers support and information to couples and individuals as they adjust to daily life and work toward personal and economic success.

Program Operating Values
• Every culture has its own definition of healthy relationships, strong marriages and good parenting

• The Refugee Family Strengthening Program honors diverse cultures and seeks to help families integrate their values with the American lifestyle

Program Goals
• To provide education about Healthy Marriages and Healthy Families by introducing communication skills and money management skills that affect all kinds of relationships

• To facilitate successful cultural integration of couples and families
by helping them understand how American values are similar to or different from their own

• To offer Healthy Marriage and Healthy Family education as a way to build resilience, and prevent domestic and relationship violence

Program Description
Jewish Family Service provides relationship enhancement education to couples and individuals with current refugee or asylee status.

Classes are based on two "Healthy Relationships" Publishing programs:

The Refugee Family Strengthening Program requires that the participants attend a minimum of 8 hours of class. Certificates of attendance are provided upon completion. Currently, we offer classes in 3 weekly 3-hour sessions. This format is adaptable, and can be modified to suit other schedules. Class locations are flexible. Childcare and transportation may be available.

For more information contact:

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