COVID-19

May 29, 2020

An IRC Food Distribution worker assisting her local community during COVID-19. IRC/AOberstadt

COVID-19

COVID-19 causes respiratory illness that can spread from person to person. It is now a pandemic that is currently impacting countries worldwide. As refugees come to the United States, this global pandemic may present additional challenges to their resettlement. On this page, explore a variety of activities and additional resources that address key COVID-19 messages and help keep refugees informed with credible, accurate information about COVID-19 and, as appropriate, its impact on their resettlement. Cultural Orientation providers are responsible for ensuring all information provided on COVID-19 reflects the latest guidance.

Featured Resource

Refugee Resettlement during COVID-19 FAQ

Featured Resource

Refugee Resettlement during COVID-19 FAQ

Refugees arriving in the U.S. will receive resettlement services through local Resettlement Agencies (RAs) which are committed to providing the greatest quality of service possible. The impact of COVID-19 on resettlement varies across the U.S. and will change over time depending on local and state requirements To document the changes, CORE has added this Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page to answer questions about new pre-departure procedures and what refugees can expect upon arrival.

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Activity Bank

Discussion on COVID-19

This activity is ideal for working with participants to define COVID-19, its symptoms, how it spreads, and why it should be taken seriously. It can be applied in-person and virtually.

  1. Ask participants: What do you know about COVID-19 (also called coronavirus)? If appropriate, ask: How does it compare to other illnesses you have encountered? Record the responses.
  2. Play the COVID-19: How to Protect Yourself and Stop the Spread of the Virus video, available in 15 different languages.
  3. Use the COVID-19: How to Protect Yourself Guided Worksheet to help guide participants to define COVID-19, its symptoms, and how it spreads.
  4. Compare information learned in the video and worksheet with information participants shared at the beginning of the activity.
  5. Discuss with participants: Why is it important for you to take COVID-19 seriously? What are the benefits of taking COVID-19 seriously? What are the potential consequences?

  • Instead of the video, use the COVID-19 Understanding Guidance and Rules fact sheet or podcast.
  • For one-on-one Cultural Orientation, customize the information as appropriate to the specific case.
  • As possible and appropriate, incorporate visuals to enforce understanding of COVID-19 symptoms and how it spreads.

Taken from CORE’s Resettling to the United States during the COVID-19 Pandemic Lesson Plan

COVID-19 Responsibilities Activity

This activity is ideal to articulate the importance of protecting oneself and others from COVID-19 and to share information about resettlement to the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic. It can be applied in-person and virtually.

  1. Ask participants: What steps can you take to protect yourself from COVID-19? What is the role of the Resettlement Support Center or Resettlement Agency during COVID-19? Record the responses.
  2. Provide participants with Resettling to the United States during the COVID-19 Pandemic fact sheet or play the podcast.
  3. Compare information from the fact sheet or podcast to answers provided by participants about protecting against COVID-19. Correct the responses as necessary.
  4. Use Responsibility Cards to reinforce information provided in the Resettling to the United States during the COVID-19 Pandemic fact sheet or podcast.
  5. Provide participants with the image on the responsibility card and ask: what action is happening in the image?
  6. Once participants identify the action, ask: Why is this action important in protecting yourself and others from COVID-19? Sample answers have been provided on the responsibility cards.
  7. Ask participants: What questions do you have about resettlement to the United States during COVID-19? Document questions and respond as appropriate. Questions may include: how to communicate with the Resettlement Support Center or Resettlement Agency, delivery of documents, and accessing specific services. Answers will vary.

  • If conducting virtually, provide physical Cultural Orientation packet of materials ahead of time, including as appropriate the fact sheet and Responsibility Cards.
  • Prior to conducting this activity, check the latest information and guidance on COVID-19 and adapt information based on the local context.

Taken from CORE’s Resettling to the United States during the COVID-19 Pandemic Lesson Plan

COVID-19 Scenarios Activity

This activity is ideal to explore local guidance on COVID-19 and reflect on how to find accurate and up-to-date information. It can be applied in-person and virtually.

  1. Ask participants: What is the current guidance on COVID-19 where you are located? Correct answers as necessary.
  2. If not provided previously, review with participants the COVID-19 Understanding Guidance and Rules fact sheet or play the podcast.
  3. Provide participants with scenarios found in the List of Scenarios. Discuss scenarios with participants, highlighting as appropriate local guidance on COVID-19. Scenarios and answers are based on the fact sheet mentioned above and podcast; however, scenarios also build on information shared in CORE’s COVID-19 How to Protect Yourself and Stop the Spread of the Virus video and Resettling to the United States During the COVID-19 Pandemic fact sheet and podcast.
  4. Ask participants: How would they find accurate and up-to-date information on COVID-19? Share how to find local information and encourage participants to check the COVID-19 page on the Settle In website, Settleinus.org.

  • You may add additional scenarios or reduce the number of scenarios, as relevant for your given context.
  • You could change the scenarios into role plays.

Taken from CORE’s Resettling to the United States during the COVID-19 Pandemic Lesson Plan

Additional Resources

Ideally, Cultural Orientation is meant to be delivered in-person and in a group setting. However, this may not always be possible. The COVID-19 pandemic has driven the need for remote Cultural Orientation. In order to ensure refugees still receive critical Cultural Orientation messages in these instances, CORE recommends the following resources to assist providers in remote and telephonic Cultural Orientation delivery. 

Telephonic Cultural Orientation Guidance and Curricula

CORE has developed guidance and curriculum for conducting telephonic  Cultural Orientation as a form of remote Cultural Orientation, when in-person is not possible. For telephonic Cultural Orientation, as with any form of Cultural Orientation, the topics covered should be consistent and align with the Cultural Orientation Objectives and Indicators.

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How to Deliver Remote Cultural Orientation

Ideally, Cultural Orientation is meant to be delivered in-person and in a group setting. However, this may not always be possible. In order to ensure refugees still receive critical Cultural Orientation messages in these instances, CORE recommends the following remote delivery approaches and tips.

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Refugee Resettlement during COVID-19 FAQs

The impact of COVID-19 on resettlement varies across the U.S. and will change over time depending on local and state requirements. To document the changes, CORE has added this Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page to answer questions about new pre-departure procedures and what refugees can expect upon arrival.

Go to Page

External Resources

Resource Hubs:

 

Working with Clients:

Additional CORE COVID-19 Resources: