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Municipal Services Advocate aids newcomers to Chelsea
Chelsea, a city with a large and diverse immigrant population, has been working to make newcomers feel more comfortable about seeking help.
Through a project funded by Massachusetts General Hospital, which operates a clinic in Chelsea, the city hired an advocate to work directly with refugees from strife-torn countries such as Somalia, Congo and Iraq.
City officials said that newcomers are often in a position in which they need assistance but are reluctant to solicit help because of bad experiences with police in their homeland.
“In some cases, people are coming from countries where the police departments were the abusers,” City Manager Jay Ash said.
The role of the newcomer advocate, Carrie Nedzipovik, includes familiarizing new arrivals with available services. Nedzipovik has also been recording video interviews in which the new arrivals describe their experiences in their native countries. The interviews, which run from 15 to 20 minutes each, are shown to police officers as part of a training program, according to Police Chief Brian Kyes.
“What we’re trying to do is introduce our officers to the various cultures that these people are coming from,” Kyes said. “We want to be responsive to the needs of our citizens, and that means everyone, wherever they come from.”
Municipal Services Advocate aids newcomers to Chelsea
Advocate aids newcomers to Chelsea
Chelsea, a city with a large and diverse immigrant population, has been working to make newcomers feel more comfortable about seeking help.
Through a project funded by Massachusetts General Hospital, which operates a clinic in Chelsea, the city hired an advocate to work directly with refugees from strife-torn countries such as Somalia, Congo and Iraq.
City officials said that newcomers are often in a position in which they need assistance but are reluctant to solicit help because of bad experiences with police in their homeland.
“In some cases, people are coming from countries where the police departments were the abusers,” City Manager Jay Ash said.
The role of the newcomer advocate, Carrie Nedzipovik, includes familiarizing new arrivals with available services. Nedzipovik has also been recording video interviews in which the new arrivals describe their experiences in their native countries. The interviews, which run from 15 to 20 minutes each, are shown to police officers as part of a training program, according to Police Chief Brian Kyes.
“What we’re trying to do is introduce our officers to the various cultures that these people are coming from,” Kyes said. “We want to be responsive to the needs of our citizens, and that means everyone, wherever they come from.”
Written by MMA Associate Editor Mitch Evich
