Refugee Women’s Alliance (ReWA) and Chinese Information and Service Center (CISC) both have many years of experience working with Seattle/King County's immigrant communities. ReWA and CISC participate in an initiative to support family, friend and neighbor caregivers and promote the value of kith and kin care. They have learned valuable lessons about culturally respectful, empowering, and meaningful support and communication with caregivers. This paper highlights the nine most important factors they have found for creating a culturally inclusive support program for family, friend and neighbor caregivers.
Author Biography
Mergitu Argo is a family advocate for East African families and a coordinator for the Family, Friend and Neighbor Care and March of Dimes projects at Refugee Women’s Alliance (ReWA). She is also a board member of the African Community Network in Washington State, a committee member of the East African Youth Advocacy Group, and a parenting educator for Oromo Community Center in Seattle. Ms. Argo has lived in the U.S. for 12 years and speaks both Amharic and Oromiffa.
Hueiling Chan is the Clinical Director of Chinese Information & Service Center. She received a Master’s in Social Work from the University of Washington in 1982. She has 15 years of experience in parent education, and has developed a parent educator manual for Chinese immigrant parents. She plays a key role in development and implementation in CISC’s family, friend and neighbor program.
Christina Malecka is a Seattle-based writer and consultant at Heliotrope (www.heliotropeseattle.com) with over 15 years experience in the social change, human services, and community development fields. She is currently working towards her master’s degree in clinical psychology, with a focus on adolescent mental health and multicultural inclusion in counseling practice.
Recommended Citation
Argo, M.,
Chan, H.,
&
Malecka, C.
(2005).
Lessons From the Field: Culturally Competent Support for Family, Friend and Neighbor Caregivers in Seattle.
Occasional Paper Series,
(15).
DOI: https://doi.org/10.58295/2375-3668.1200