Restoring Family Links

Restoring Family Links
Welcome Restoring Family Links American Red Cross TIME: 1 MIN INTRODUCTION: Welcome to the Restoring Family Links Caseworker Course. EXPLAIN: We are so happy that you all can join us today. We have a lot of wonderful information to share with you about this unique Red Cross program. In front of you, you should have a Participant Workbook, which we will be using throughout the day. If you like to take notes with the slides, the slide deck can be found at the back of the workbook, but the book is yours, so you can take notes anywhere you like. At your tables, you will also find copies of the Restoring Family Links Direction and Guidance and the Availability by Country Guide, which we will reference during the course today.

Restoring Family Links Caseworkers Training
Instructor #1 Job title Instructor #2 TIME: 2 MIN NOTE: You can fill in your contact information on this slide. BRIDGE: Before we get started, we’d like to introduce ourselves to you. ACTION: Facilitators should take about a minute to introduce themselves to the class. Share their credentials in relation to Restoring Family Links (“I have been a caseworker at my chapter for xx years…”)

Breaks Restrooms Emergency Exits AED/First Aid Kit Cell Phones
Housekeeping Breaks Restrooms Emergency Exits AED/First Aid Kit Cell Phones TIME: 2 MIN REFER: to page 5 in their Participant Workbooks. ACTION: Briefly go over the day’s agenda and cover housekeeping notes and emergency exit plan The agenda is designed to cover the foundation of the program in the morning, then how to work with clients who wish to open a new case, and finally, in the afternoon, we will switch to how to search for someone when the request comes from outside of the US. Please return from breaks on-time so the class is not delayed Location of restrooms, emergency exits, AED and 1ST Aid Kit Smoking policy for the building Silence cell phones when you return to your seat. If you must use your phone, please quietly leave the room A lot of material is covered in an interactive manner, so ask questions and participate! Be respectful of different opinions and frame feedback in a positive and constructive manner. NOTE: Have a newsprint posted with this information in the classroom, so participants can refer to this throughout the course.

Experiencing Separation
How does being separated from your family make you feel? TIME: 10 MIN PURPOSE: This introductory activity is designed to increase the awareness of the Restoring Family Links program and have participants share in the experiences that RFL clients face. MATERIALS: Blank Red Cross Messages (Print from Instructor Resources) Pens BRIDGE: Now that we’ve gotten the necessities out of the way, let’s get a glimpse of what is at the heart of this program. We are going to start the class with an activity designed to help you understand the Restoring Family Links program, our clients and the Red Cross role. EXERCISE SET-UP EXPLAIN: Take a couple of minutes to introduce yourself to your neighbor. Make sure that you know the person’s name and ask any other information about them that you would like to know. ACTION: Give participants 2 minutes to introduce themselves and gather some information about their partner. ACTION: Have the participants stand. Direct them to leave their belongings at their desk and move to a different seat. Do not sit next to the person you were just speaking with. EXPLAIN: Now as a group, we need to pick a country outside of North America - one where English is not the primary language. Let participants suggest a few different countries, then select one to be the focus of the rest of this exercise. EXPLAIN: Picture this scenario: The United States is in a civil war, your hometown has been destroyed. Where you had been sitting was your home. You had to flee from the fighting and are now a refugee in [the country the class identified]. Your notebook, phone, jacket, whatever you brought in with you today was all of your belongings and the person sitting next to you was your family. Since you had to leave so quickly, you were not able to take anything with you and you do not know what may have happened to your sibling. ASK: The person that you were just sitting next to is your sibling. How will you get a hold of him/her? ACTION: Solicit responses If participants indicate they would call  you have no phone If participants indicate they would use social media  there is no internet café If participants indicate they would write a letter  the infrastructure has collapsed because of the war, no reliable postal service Hand out Red Cross Messages EXPLAIN: These messages are used to communicate with family members. Now is your chance to write a letter to your sibling (the one you were just talking with) to let them know you have survived. At this point you can only assume that your sibling is still at their home. In the Addressee section, you will need to fill in as much information as you can about the last known location of your sibling In the Sender section, provide as much information as you can about yourself, including your current country. Once you have the addressee & sender information filled in, write your message. Think about what you would want to say to your sibling. ACTION: Give participants 3 minutes to write their message. ASK: Where would you go to send the message? ACTION: Solicit the response that they would go to their local Red Cross office. ACTION: Collect one of the messages and review it. Look for missing information. EXPLAIN: So, I am the Red Cross caseworker and as the caseworker I need to review this to see what information is on the message - is some key information missing? Is the content of the message family related or political? EXPLAIN: In the past few minutes, you’ve been suddenly displaced from your home, separated from your family and dropped into an unknown environment – this quick example, hopefully, gives you a general idea of what a Restoring Family Links client might be experiencing. It also gives a small insight to what happens with information collected from a client. DEBRIEF ASK: What did you think of this exercise – did anything unexpected come up for you? [solicit responses] What was surprising about that activity? [solicit responses] If you lost your phone and all contacts right now, how many phone numbers do you have in your head? Would you know how to contact someone in your family or a friend that you care about? [solicit responses] EXPLAIN: Take a moment to reflect on a time that you have been separated from someone you love. (Pause) Now just take a moment to reflect on the feelings and thoughts that you had during that separation. Now try to hold on to those thoughts as we proceed through the day, those are the same thoughts and feelings many RFL clients have.

Introductions Name City, State and Country of Origin
Chapter & Main Role in the Red Cross Expectations for Today In one word, how did you feel about being suddenly separated from your family? TIME: MIN PURPOSE: Get to know who is in the class and what their expectations are for the day. MATERIALS: Marker Newsprint EXERCISE SET-UP ACTION: Direct participants to return to their original seats. EXPLAIN: You are going to interview your “family member” that you met this morning and ask them about the information you see on the screen. Take notes, you will be introducing your partner. NOTE: Any persons arriving to the course late should be paired with other late arrivals or put into a group of 3. ACTION: Give participants 3-5 minutes to interview each other. DEBRIEF ACTION: Ask for a volunteer to start, then go around the room and have participants introduce each other. ACTION: On newsprint, make note of two things to post somewhere in the room as you will be referring back to them at the end of the course: Participant expectations The “One word” describing how they felt BRIDGE: Let’s see how our expectations match up with what we hope to accomplish today…

After this training, you will be able to:
Course Objectives After this training, you will be able to: Provide RFL casework in your community following Red Cross standards When conducting outreach and casework, explain RFL program and processes to clients, community and key stakeholders Work effectively with clients from diverse backgrounds and have a greater understanding of how cultural differences can affect interactions TIME: 5 MIN PURPOSE: Make sure all participants are referencing the same overall goals for the course. EXPLAIN: Let’s look at the objectives for today’s course. In the short time we have together today we will cover these important points related to RFL service delivery. ASK: How does this compare with our list we came up with a few minutes ago? EXPLAIN: Hopefully, by the end of the day we will have accomplished these goals. We are going to start reaching for this by tackling this 3rd bullet point – working with clients from diverse backgrounds and understanding how cultural differences can affect our interactions. NOTE: If participants have additional expectations, work with them during the break to provide information/referrals.

New Arrival Challenges Activity
What barriers would you face integrating into your new home country? TIME: 9 MIN PURPOSE: This activity is designed to increase the awareness of the challenges that new arrivals face. MATERIALS: Sticky notes Pens EXPLAIN: There are many barriers that people face when arriving to a new country. Like this iceberg, we can see the surface level obstacles, but often we don’t think of the challenges residing underneath. EXERCISE SET-UP ACTION: Have participants split into groups of 3-4 people. EXPLAIN: Think about the country you suddenly found yourself in this morning and the different barriers that you would face integrating into a new country. For example, you would face language difficulties, but how may that impact you and your family on different levels. As a team, using the sticky notes at your table, take a couple minutes to write down as many barriers to integration that you can think of. Write 1 barrier per sticky note ACTION: Give participants 3-4 minutes to discuss and make their notes DEBRIEF Ask for the groups to share two or 3 things from their notes that they feel would be the most difficult obstacles to conquer. EXPLAIN: Now think of barriers that people coming from another country might face when integrating in the U.S. Many of these barriers are probably the same, right? When working with any clients who come to us for Red Cross services, the idea is to think about their situation from an ‘under the iceberg’ perspective.

New Arrival Challenges
Isolation from Community Language Employment Accessing Health & Other Services TIME: 10 MIN BRIDGE: This image helps to illustrate how you can think about the types of challenges that new arrivals face. ASK: Do the barriers you wrote down fit into these categories? Do some of them overlap? EXPLAIN: As a team, take a look at your sticky notes and decide where your challenges fall on this diagram. There is also a copy of this diagram on page 6 of your workbook. When you’ve decided where your challenges fit, have a member of your team come up and place your notes on the wall. ACTION: If possible, turn the projector away from the screen and point it toward another wall. Now projected on the wall, participants will stick their notes on the image. When done, the projector can be redirected to the screen. If you will not be able to redirect your projector, prepare a newsprint to mirror the diagram. DEBRIEF This is a pretty impressive list of barriers. And, if you move the projector away, [move projector away from the wall] and you can no longer see those ‘buckets’, it also looks pretty messy, doesn’t it? I would imagine must feel pretty messy, too.

New Arrival Challenges
DVD: Refugees and Immigrants Share Their Stories About Being New-comers in the United States TIME: 7 MIN BRIDGE: Now, keeping these challenges in mind, we’re going to watch a short video that provides some personal insight into the challenges that new arrivals face when they come to the United States. While you are watching this video, think about your Restoring Family Links clients and how an awareness of their perspectives can help you when working with them. REFER: Participants can look at the transcript and follow along if they would like on pages 7-9 in their Participant Workbooks. ACTION: Show participants the “Coming to America Stories” video on YouTube (6 min). DEBRIEF ASK: What are some thoughts you have on the video or the activity? Did you feel any differently when you were thinking of how you would integrate in a new country versus thinking about someone that is integrating in the United States? EXPLAIN: The clients that we serve through the Restoring Family Links Program come to the United States in a variety of different ways. Many receive refugee status. ASK: Does anyone know the definition of a refugee? EXPLAIN: The UN definition of a refugee is someone who flees their country of origin and cannot return due to “well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion.” REFER: to page 39 in glossary section in the back of their Participant Workbooks for more definitions/terms: refugee, migrant, asylum seeker and IDP EXPLAIN: While refugees do compose a large number of RFL clients, our clients can come from any one of these groups.

New Arrival Challenges Activity
What resources might you access to help overcome integration barriers? TIME: 9 MIN PURPOSE: This activity is designed to increase the awareness of the resources new arrivals can access to help them in their integration process. MATERIALS: Sticky notes, newsprint or blank page in workbook Pens or markers BRIDGE: So now that we have thought about the barriers new arrivals face, what are some of the resources they can access to overcome these barriers? Think back to everything we were just talking about - where might clients go to find help in overcoming these challenges? EXERCISE SET-UP ACTION: Have participants stay in their groups of 3-4. Participants have been sitting for a while, so if a stretch is needed, direct groups to one of the newsprint easels. Otherwise, they can make a list at their tables. ASK: What are some resources that new arrivals can use to help them overcome integration barriers? Write as many as you can think of down on [sticky notes or newsprint]. ACTION: Give participants 3-5 minutes to discuss and compile a list. DEBRIEF ASK : What are some resources that your groups came up with? ACTION: Lead a brief discussion where participants can share their ideas. NOTE: If nobody has responded with the Red Cross as a resource, point out that the Red Cross is also a resource for them.

The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement
TIME: 10 MIN BRIDGE: So far this morning we’ve discussed, and hopefully learned something new about what it is like to be suddenly separated from your family, as well as some of the many challenges faced by people who find themselves in a new environment, often following some very difficult experiences, and sometimes with little or no support system. Now, let’s talk about how the Restoring Family Links program at the American Red Cross might be able to help. ASK: Here you can see a diagram that shows the three components of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. Can anyone explain the role of each component and how they relate to the Restoring Family Links Program? ACTION: Have the class share some ideas and then explain the components. EXPLAIN: the American Red Cross is a part of the global International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. The three components of the Movement are the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (International Federation) and the National Societies. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is the founding body for the movement. The ICRC has responsibility for visiting persons detained in relation to armed conflicts and political tensions and keeps lists of persons missing during conflicts. The ICRC also does capacity building with National Societies in conflict and non-conflict areas and will provide RFL services, or support the National Society in their efforts to do so. National Societies are the backbone of the Red Cross, performing a wide variety of services based on each nation’s own community needs and capacity. Each national society has a Restoring Family Links program that works with the ICRC and other national societies to help reconnect families. The International Federation of the Red Cross is the umbrella body of the national societies. When it comes to RFL, the Federation is involved in a couple of ways. Following large disasters, the Federation sends out a FACT (Field Assessment and Coordination Team). RFL needs are a component of that assessment. The Federation also is involved with issues surrounding advocacy and policy, defining the issues and focus of the global movement (one of which is “Social Inclusion & a Culture of Non-Violence & Peace”), convening working groups of National Societies who are facing cross-cutting issues like migration and gender based violence. NOTE: If participants ask about the Red Crystal: The 3rd Protocol additional to the Geneva Conventions, adopted in 2005, established the Red Crystal as an emblem that can be used by states that have difficulty with either the Red Cross or the Red Crescent because of perceptions that they may have religious significance. Under the 3rd Protocol, a National Society that uses the Red Crystal can use its own emblem for the work they do in their own country, and can use that emblem within the frame of the Red Crystal for work in other countries. (For example, the Magen David Adom of Israel). If participants want more information, refer them to ICRC’s website or the Born on the Battlefield course. REFER: participants to World of Red Cross training found on the IFRC Learning Platform, which can be accessed through EDGE (details are on the References page in workbook).

Reconnecting Family Services
The Red Cross works to reconnect families separated internationally due to armed conflict, natural disaster, migration or other humanitarian crises Tracing/Wartime Documentation (including WWII tracing) Red Cross Messages (RCM) Certificates of Detention International Health and Welfare Inquiries International Disaster Inquiries (IDI) Travel Documents Information and Referral TIME: 10 MIN EXPLAIN: Let’s take a closer look at the different services that are provided through the Restoring Family Links Program. ASK: Who is familiar with these services? ACTION: Call on one of the participants to provide a definition NOTE: Give participants 1-2 minutes to solicit responses. Then run through the following definitions: EXPLAIN: Tracing - search for someone missing in relation to conflict (location unknown) Red Cross Message - family message sent between refugees and internally displaced persons (location known) Certificates of Detention - ICRC issues certificates to former detainees visited by ICRC as POW’s during times of war. Most of these are currently associated with clients from Iraq who were former POW’s detained in a Prisoner of War camp during the first Persian Gulf War International Health & Welfare - separation is not conflict related, a search for a vulnerable person on humanitarian grounds International Disaster Inquiry - search for someone missing due to a disaster Travel Document - ICRC document that assists stateless persons resettle permanently in a third country Information and Referral - most frequently requested service; client referral for non-Red Cross services REFER: participant can find this list and description of RFL services on page 5 of the Restoring Family Links Direction and Guidance as well as in the glossary on page 39 at the back of their Participant Workbooks. BRIDGE: Now that we’ve looked at the different groups involved with Restoring Family Links and the different types of RFL services available, let’s check out the path that a case follows once it has been opened.

RFL Casework Process Request initiated by a client in a chapter
Service is delivered by local caseworker TIME: 5 MIN EXPLAIN: This slide shows the path a Restoring Family Links request follows if a case originates in the United States. As you can see, chapters are the beginning and the end of Restoring Family Links services. Chapters are the “face” of Red Cross in every community, and where clients will go to seek help. EXPLAIN: After you work with a client to complete any request, you would send it on to the Restoring Family Links office at NHQ through the RFL Database. Next, the team at headquarters will review the information to make sure all the necessary information is there. Assuming the request is accepted, it is then sent to either the ICRC or another National Society. Inquiries for the ICRC are sent to the Central Tracing and Protection Agency in Geneva, Switzerland or to a regional delegation in another country. The decision on whether the inquiry is sent to a national society or to the ICRC is based on the National Society’s capacity and the type of inquiry (e.g. Travel Documents and Certificates of Detention are sent to ICRC because they are the only agency can provide those documents). The National Society or ICRC will pass the request to their chapter office or the delegation in the community to conduct a search. Once the search is complete, the news travels back through the same channels so that the inquirer can learn the outcome of their case. ASK: Does anyone have any questions about this service path? NOTE: (if the issue is raised) RCM’s are the exception to this ‘path’ – generally, no confirmation is received from national societies or ICRC. If the message is not returned as “undeliverable,” it is understood to have been delivered. REFER: to page 46 in Direction and Guidance BRIDGE: Alright, I think it’s time for a break! Let’s return in 15 and we will put on our Caseworker hats! Or ICRC American Red Cross Headquarters National Society

Morning Break TIME: 15 MIN
NOTE: If you are the only instructor, this is when you should pick a participant from the class to play one of the roles during the “Casework Interview Practice” exercise on slide 25 and give the participant their role cards to review. All actors should be prepared to ACT, and fully embrace both the verbal and non-verbal aspects of their roles to make this exercise as useful as possible.

RFL Case Acceptance Criteria
What initial information do you need to gather from a client to determine eligibility for service? TIME: 5 MIN Bridge: We spent the first part of this morning learning about some of the clients we serve, and some of the challenges they face. We also began to talk about some of the services the Restoring Family Links program offers to assist our clients. Now, let’s begin to learn how to work with a client to open a Restoring Family Links case. ASK: Your first contact with a new client will likely be by phone, or the client might walk into your chapter to seek assistance. When you first meet with a new client, what basic pieces of information do you think you would need to gather to determine if the Restoring Family Links services should be offered to your client? ACTION: Solicit a few responses from the class.

Initial Information Needed for Case Intake
WHO: Family relationship WHAT: Cause of separation WHEN: Date of separation/last contact WHERE: Last known location of the sought person TIME: 5 MIN EXPLAIN: When you first speak with the client, be sure to gather these critical pieces of information: The WHO, WHAT, WHEN, and WHERE. For WHOm is the client searching and how are they related? WHAT were the circumstances/events which caused their separation? WHEN did the separation occur? WHERE was the client’s relative’s last known location? These basic details are key for you to determine if the client’s case meets the eligibility criteria for RFL services and if the Red Cross has the capacity to provide the requested RFL service in a given country. Once you have these details, there are two guidance documents that RFL caseworkers reference to check for eligibility and service availability, and those are the two that were pointed out at the beginning of the day – the Restoring Family Links Direction and Guidance manual and the Restoring Family Links Availability by Country guide.

Direction And Guidance Availability By Country Guide
GUIDANCE DOCUMENTS Direction And Guidance Availability By Country Guide TIME: 5 MIN ACTION: Direct participants to open the Direction and Guidance manual to Page 2, the table of contents. Now, take this time to go over the table of contents of the Direction and Guidance manual in detail: EXPLAIN: The Direction and Guidance manual is the first place you should go when you want to see if a client’s case meets eligibility criteria. Look at the table of contents in the Direction and Guidance on page 2. Notice that the guide begins with some introductory information on the RFL program and our performance standards, and then moves on to devote a chapter to each of the RFL services that we highlighted in our discussion earlier this morning. Notice that each RFL service chapter contains sub-sections informing you of the purpose and eligibility criteria of the specific RFL service, guidance on how to submit inquiries initiated by you, as well as how to respond to inquiries sent to you for action in your region. ASK: If you had a client who wanted to send a Red Cross Message with a care package, where would you look in this manual to find out if this is something we can do? NOTE: Have participants take a minute to find answer. ASK: Can anyone name the section where they found the answer? (SECTION 3.2.2: RED CROSS MESSAGE – ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA, page 13.) ASK: Can Red Cross assist this client with their request? (Yes and No – RC can send a Red Cross Message, but cannot send a care package along with it) EXPLAIN: Next, let’s look at the Availability by Country (aka the ABC) guide. Once you’ve determined that the client’s case meets service eligibility criteria, then the ABC guide is the document you will reference to determine if RFL services are available in the country where the sought person is believed to be residing. Capacity to provide RFL services varies from country to country, and in some parts of the world RFL services may be temporarily unavailable. ACTION: Direct participants to open ABC guide to table of contents EXPLAIN: Notice that the guide is separated by countries, regions and in some cases, conflicts. Also notice that not every country in the world is listed here. The ABC guide lists the main countries or conflicts which caused separation for many of our clients. If you don’t see a specific country listed in the ABC, don’t panic! As always, you can contact a headquarters caseworker for additional guidance. The guide indicates whether tracing services or red cross messages are available; contact information for the NHQ casework team; other comments (additional information of note specific to that country/conflict); some country background information including a brief historical overview, languages, primary religions; and a country map. Let’s take a closer at look the Availability By Country guide by looking at the information for Sri Lanka on page 39. NOTE: allow participants a few moments to find the correct page ASK: Would a client be able to send a Red Cross Message to her family in Sri Lanka? Are there any special considerations you should be aware of? ACTION: Solicit answers YES. Precise information is needed: province, district, town and street. BRIDGE: Now you will get to practice using these guidance documents to determine if some real-world scenarios are eligible for RFL services!

Initial Intake Exercise
Can RFL Services be Provided? Does the case meet the basic RFL criteria? (WHO, WHAT, WHEN) If so, what type of case is this (RCM/Tracing/etc.)? Is the RFL service available in the country of search? (WHERE) Are there any special requirements for this country? TIME: 7 MIN PURPOSE: Through this exercise, participants will learn how to utilize RFL guidance documents to determine case eligibility. The exercise also reinforces basic understanding of key RFL services. EXPLAIN: Let’s practice using the guidance documents we just reviewed to determine if we can provide RFL services in some real-world scenarios! EXERCISE SET-UP ACTION: Place participants into 4 groups, assign groups a number (1, 2, 3, etc.). REFER participants to Initial Case Intake scenarios on pages in Participant Workbook REFER participants to the RFL Direction and Guidance manual and the Availability by Country document to use as tools during this exercise. EXPLAIN: The questions that you in Box #1 of the scenario worksheets are a guide to help you get to the important details of WHO, WHAT, WHEN, and WHERE when you are listening to your client’s situation so that you can determine if a case is eligible for service. The questions in Box #2 are guiding questions to help in researching whether or not services are available for a specific country. EXPLAIN: In your groups, you are going to read the scenarios at the top of the worksheet in your Participant Workbook. Use the Initial Case Intake questions and the Direction and Guidance manual to help you determine if each scenario meets RFL service criteria. Then use the Availability by Country guide to see if service is available in the appropriate country. ACTION: Give the class a brief example of how they should proceed: For example, let’s say a man named Ahmed comes to your office one morning and says he would like to send a message to his father in Yemen. A war broke out there, and Ahmed has not been able to reach his father by phone for six months. Based on what Ahmed has told me, I understand the WHO (Ahmed is trying to reach his Father), the WHAT (separated by war in Yemen), and the WHEN (last contact was 6 months ago). Ahmed’s situation definitely meets the basic RFL criteria, but I need to determine which RFL service is appropriate for Ahmed’s situation. Ahmed has his father’s complete address but has not been able to reach him. Since the location is known but they have not been able to communicate, it may be appropriate to offer Ahmed the chance to send a Red Cross Message to his father. First, I need to check to see if Ahmed’s situation meets the criteria for RCM service. To do this, I refer to the Direction and Guidance Manual chapter on Red Cross Message eligibility (chapter 3, section 3.2, page 13), where I see that to be eligible the message must be to a family member from whom the inquirer has been separated due to displacement, armed conflict, or detention. I also see that we need to know the address of the person receiving the message. The guidance goes on to remind me that I must check the Availability by Country document in order to see if RCM services are available in Yemen. Now I need to address the question of WHERE. So, let’s look at the ABC guide page for Yemen (page 50). On the Yemen page, I look at the section headlined “Red Cross Messages”, and I see that service is limited, and that I need to contact NHQ to see if the area where Ahmed’s father is living is accessible by our Red Cross partners in Yemen. The contact information for NHQ is listed on the right side. Your next step would be to reach out to NHQ before helping Ahmed to fill out the RCM form. NOTE: Remind the participants that if they have trouble remembering the definitions of some of the RFL services, they can refer to page 5 of the Direction and Guidance manual for a summary list of RFL services and their definitions. EXPLAIN: Groups with an odd number, please work on scenarios 1 & 3, groups with an even number, please work on scenarios 2 & 4. We’ll take about 5 minutes, and then we will have each group report back on ONE of their scenarios. Group 1 will present Scenario 1 and their response. Group 2 will present scenario 2, and so on. ACTION: Allow the participants about 5-7 minutes to work through their scenarios in groups.

Scenario 1 – Red Cross Message
“My name is Mohamed and I am from Somalia. I want to send a message and some photos to my cousin who fled the war in Somalia, and is now living in Kakuma Refugee Camp in Kenya. I last heard from him a few months ago when he called me from a rented cell phone, but I haven’t been able to reach him since.” Does the case meet the basic RFL criteria? (WHO, WHAT, WHEN) If so, what type of case is this (RCM/Tracing/etc.)? Is the RFL service available in the country of search? (WHERE) Are there any special requirements for this country? TIME: 2 MIN DEBRIEF Have Group 1 read scenario 1 to the class and present their results, ask the class if they agree. Then move to next slide for scenario 2 debrief. ACTION: in general, the answers should be similar to the information below: Who is the client looking for? Is it a family member? The client wants to send a message to his cousin, a family member. What caused the separation? Was it a conflict, political tensions, disaster, or other humanitarian emergency situation? The cousin is a refugee living in a refugee camp. He fled the conflict in Somalia. When did the separation occur? When was the last contact with the sought family member? They last spoke a few months ago. The cousin called from a rented cell phone. Does this case meet the basic Restoring Family Links criteria? Yes Where/Which Country is the sought family member thought to be? In a refugee camp in Kenya Is Red Cross Message Service Available for this client? YES - RCM service is available to refugee camps in KENYA Is any special information required? YES: Tribe, clan, sub-clan Family Lineage

Scenario 2 – Health & Welfare
“My name is Paul. My mother has been living in Costa Rica for several years. She moved there to retire. I usually speak with my mother once a week by phone. For the last five weeks I haven’t been able to reach my mom by phone and I am very worried about her. My mother is 80 years old, a citizen of the United States, and lives alone. Can the Red Cross check on my mom in Costa Rica?” Does the case meet the basic RFL criteria? (WHO, WHAT, WHEN) If so, what type of case is this (RCM/Tracing/etc.)? Is the RFL service available in the country of search? (WHERE) Are there any special requirements for this country? TIME: 2 MIN DEBRIEF Have Group 2 read scenario 2 to the class and present their results, ask the class if they agree. Then move to next slide for scenario 3 debrief. ACTION: in general, the answers should be similar to the information below: Who is the client looking for? Is it a family member? Paul is looking for his mother. What caused the separation? Was it a conflict, political tensions, disaster, or other humanitarian emergency situation? The mother is elderly and Paul is worried about her. When did the separation occur? When was the last contact with the sought family member? Paul hasn’t been able to reach his mother for several weeks. Does this case meet the basic Restoring Family Links criteria? No - because the mother is a US citizen. This case should be referred to the US Department of State Office of Overseas Citizen Services.

Scenario 3 - Tracing “My name is John and I am from Congo. My family has been negatively targeted in Congo because of our ethnic group. My parents were killed in 1993 because of their ethnic group. I came to the United States in 2003 because my family and I were being harassed by government soldiers. I left my wife and children in Congo, in the capital city of Brazzaville, and had hoped to later bring them to the United States. After I arrived in the US I lost contact with my family in Congo. I tried to call last year, but the phone was disconnected. I called a neighbor and was told that my wife left with the children and he doesn’t know where they went. Can the Red Cross help me find my wife and children?” Does the case meet the basic RFL criteria? (WHO, WHAT, WHEN) If so, what type of case is this (RCM/Tracing/etc.)? Is the RFL service available in the country of search? (WHERE) Are there any special requirements for this country? TIME: 2 MIN DEBRIEF Have Group 3 read scenario 3 to the class and present their results, ask the class if they agree. Then move to next slide for scenario 4 debrief. ACTION: in general, the answers should be similar to the information below: Who is the client looking for? Is it a family member? John is looking for his wife and children. What caused the separation? Was it a conflict, political tensions, disaster, or other humanitarian emergency situation? Political tensions in the Congo When did the separation occur? When was the last contact with the sought family member? Communication was lost sometime after John came to the United States in Does this case meet the basic Restoring Family Links criteria? YES- the family has been separated due to political tension Where/Which Country is the sought family member thought to be? Republic of Congo Is Tracing Service Available for this client? Yes, if the family first tries to re-establish contact through Red Cross Message. Is any special information required? Are there other close relatives in Republic of Congo? Inquirer needs to check with them first to see if they have any information on sought person). Has inquirer tried to send an RCM to the sought person first? The sought person’s complete last known address must be provided. Call national headquarters for accessible areas.

Scenario 4 - Tracing “My name is Dolores and I am from Honduras. My husband, Javier, was deported by the U.S. Government two months ago and I have not talked with him since. I believe that he could be in our home town, La Lima, in Honduras. Can the Red Cross help me find my husband?” Does the case meet the basic RFL criteria? (WHO, WHAT, WHEN) If so, what type of case is this (RCM/Tracing/etc.)? Is the RFL service available in the country of search? (WHERE) Are there any special requirements for this country? TIME: 2 MIN DEBRIEF Have Group 4 read scenario 4 to the class and present their results, ask the class if they agree. ACTION: in general, the answers should be similar to the information below: Who is the client looking for? Is it a family member? Dolores is looking for her husband. What caused the separation? Was it a conflict, migration, political tensions, disaster, or other humanitarian emergency situation? The cause of separation was migration. When did the separation occur? When was the last contact with the sought family member? The separation occurred 2 months ago and that was the last contact she had with her husband. Does this case meet the basic Restoring Family Links criteria? YES- the husband and wife have been separated due to migration. Where/Which Country is the sought family member thought to be? Honduras Is Tracing Service Available for this client? Yes Is any special information required? Pictures are helpful when they are available. Be sure to ask the name of the town where you are trying to locate the sought person in Honduras and to gather additional information about the address if it is known. BRIDGE: Hopefully you feel more comfortable using the guidance available to you to determine if a client’s situation is eligible for RFL services. When in doubt, please remember that you can always contact the casework team at National Headquarters for help. We are here to answer any of your questions! Now that you understand what types of cases can be accepted, let’s learn about the skills we need to be able to provide effective services to our clients!

Key RFL Caseworker Skills
TIME: 5 MIN NOTE: This is a 2 click slide EXPLAIN: Think back to this morning’s exercise where we discussed the challenges that new arrivals face when they first arrive in the US. ASK: What caseworker skills do you feel are important to have in order to bridge these gaps, and help us to provide better service to our clients? ACTION: Solicit some answers from the class and then click on slide once more to reveal answers on the slide and explain the importance of each skill. Be sure to mention all of the skills on the slide. EXPLAIN: Use explanations below if participants do not come up with all of the answers on their own. Cultural Awareness: Be aware of the cultural and ethnic background of the client you are assisting. Doing some research ahead of time about some of the cultural norms/taboos of your clients’ culture may be helpful when working with clients from diverse backgrounds. Compassion: As an RFL caseworker, it is very important to be understanding to the needs of our clients. Remember that many refugee and immigrant clients have undergone traumatic situations before coming to the United States. Being separated from one’s family member can also cause a variety of different emotions including: sadness, happiness or anger/frustration. Place yourself in the shoes of your client. How would YOU feel, if it were your own mother who was missing for years and you needed to search for her? Many of us know what it feels like to be separated for brief times from loved ones. Try to imagine what that feels like for our clients. Active Listening: Listen to your clients with more than just your ears! Pay attention to non-verbal cues like body posture, tone of voice, and facial expression. Show your clients that you understand that what they have to say is important. Take the time to listen fully, without distractions. Maintaining Confidentiality: It is important to respect each client’s privacy by keeping the information that is disclosed confidential. This is also very important in maintaining a professional relationship and establishing trust. Organization and Coordination: As an RFL caseworker you will be responsible for organizing information and coordinating with clients. Some cases might require a lot of coordination and organizing with clients in terms of visits, transportation, searches, etc. It is important to be able to stay on task and coordinate the case activities effectively. Effective Communication: Ask pertinent questions, speak clearly and slowly, and maintain composure when working with clients as an RFL caseworker. Again, you will be assisting clients from a variety of different backgrounds and language skill levels. Therefore, effective communication is key in maintaining a positive relationship with a client. Good communication will also help in managing expectations. Cultural Awareness Compassion Active Listening Maintain Confidentiality Organization and Coordination Effective Communication

Tips for Communicating Effectively Across Cultural Lines
Speak slowly and clearly Ask questions Listen Actively Give clear instructions Confirm for understanding Writing and Graphics TIME: 5 MIN NOTE: This is a 2 click slide BRIDGE: We mentioned how important cultural awareness and good listening skills are to establishing a good casework relationship with our clients. Let’s start to take a closer look at what this actually means in practice. EXPLAIN: When communicating with our clients, language and cultural differences can sometimes present barriers that at first seem insurmountable. However, here are some tips to help us to build bridges with our clients, rather than put up barriers. ASK: Think about a time in your life (Red Cross life or otherwise) when you had a difficult time communicating with someone different from you. How did you overcome that challenge? Keep in mind that differences can go beyond race and ethnicity and can include age differences as well. ACTION: Solicit tips from participants and contribute some from the list below. If you are comfortable, provide 1 real life example where you utilized some of these tips to bridge communication barriers. EXPLAIN: Click on slide once more to reveal answers on the slide Speaking: Keep it simple, speak clearly and slowly, avoid slang, avoid sarcasm, don’t assume understanding Ask Questions: Ask questions that are designed to open up conversation. Don’t accept simple yes or no answers, don’t assume smiling or nodding means “yes,” don’t phrase questions negatively, don’t ask two part questions Listening: Listen for key words, ask for clarification when needed, overlook improper grammar, wait before responding, watch facial expressions and body language for cues. Giving Instructions: Break instructions into steps, establish time limits for tasks, encourage client to ask questions Confirming for understanding: Sum up the conversation to confirm, if you don’t understand ask specific questions to clarify Writing/Using Graphics: Be aware that clients may be illiterate, write clearly in print, avoid abbreviations and symbols BRIDGE: Now that we have discussed good communication when working with our clients, we are going to give you an opportunity to put some of those active listening skills to the test. We are about to watch two staged interviews between a caseworker and a client. As you watch these interviews, try to imagine yourself in the role of the caseworker and consider anything you might do differently if you were interviewing the client.

Interview Environment
Exercise: Casework Interview Practice TIME: 20 MIN PURPOSE: Participants will practice their active listening skills to evaluate two different interview models. participants will be able to experience the challenge of obtaining full details to open a case, and also see how the caseworker’s own body language and communication style can either help or hinder client interaction. MATERIALS: Print out two copies of each interview script (Interview #1 and Interview #2) on pages XX of the Instructor Resource Book 3 Chairs Bottle/cup of water Notepad Pen 2 actors NOTE: If you are co-teaching this course with another instructor, the instructors themselves should play the roles of client and caseworker. If you are the only instructor, pick a participant from the class to play one of the roles. All actors should be prepared to ACT, and fully embrace both the verbal and non-verbal aspects of their roles to make this exercise as useful as possible. Give the participant their role cards to review during the 1st morning break. Actors should read over their role cards carefully prior to the interview (instructors should do this before class if co-instructing, or during the morning break if selecting an actor from amongst the participants). Follow the instructions on the interview script. Actors should note that they should only speak the lines marked for them (ie “JS” for the client, John Smith, and “Caseworker” for the (well, you guessed it) caseworker! Anything that is in italics or parenthesis are NON-VERBAL gestures/cues that the person should act out. Actors should feel comfortable with their lines and understand that they need to be animated in this role play, according to the directions given in italics. EXERCISE SET-UP ACTION: Position chairs at front of the room. One for the Caseworker. The other two chairs should be positioned facing the caseworker, but with one chair positioned markedly closer to the Caseworker chair. Begin the role-play. ACTION: After Interview 1 is completed, click to the next slide to debrief.

Examining the Interview Examples
Casework Interview Example 1 How did the client feel during the interview? How did the caseworker react? What opportunities are there to improve the interview? Casework Interview Example 2 What techniques did the caseworker use to create a comfortable interview environment? TIME: 5 MIN NOTE: This is a 2 click slide ACTION: After the interviews, review the questions on the slide for Example 1 with the class and solicit the following answers. How did the client feel? The client felt uncomfortable, upset and unable to provide full information. How did the caseworker react? Unsure how to react, ignored client’s behavior and tried to stick to collection of information, etc…. What opportunities are there to improve the interview? Caseworker could have shown more compassion, taken more time to get to know the client before starting interview questions, etc…. ACTION: After discussion of Example 1, act out Example 2, then click slide to reveal discussion point for Interview Example 2. solicit the following answer What techniques did the caseworker use to create a comfortable interview environment? Started the interview slowly with introductions Asked the client about their trip to the office Offered a drink of water Informed the client that notes would be taken Took the time to talk personally about the client’s wife Stopped writing notes when the client became agitated Reassured that Red Cross would keep the client’s family’s safety a priority during the search Had a map available and asked the client to draw on it while still talking (a good way to distract the client from being anxious.) ACTION: After the discussion allow the client and the interviewer to read out loud the background information from the top of their role cards. ASK: Does knowing this background information make you think differently about the scenarios you just saw? EXPLAIN : I hope the examples you saw show the importance of understanding our client’s backgrounds and experiences, and being compassionate caseworkers. Think back to our New Arrivals challenge exercise from this morning. Remember that our clients may have all these layers of challenges that they may not tell us about verbally, but they can impact our interactions with our clients. It is up to us as caseworkers to be aware of these challenges, as well as our own issues or stresses we carry into that interview room – we both have our own icebergs, with a lot of stuff going on that may not be obvious. But by being aware of this, being conscious communicators, active listeners, culturally aware, and being welcoming hosts, we can improve our relationship with our clients AND ensure that we gather complete details to start the case.

Gathering Information
Let the client tell their story Listen carefully for significant details Find a private/comfortable space Non Verbal Communication: gestures, postures and cultural taboos TIME: 5 MIN NOTE: This is a 2 click slide ASK: Are there other tips for gathering the necessary information from clients? ACTION: ask participants to review the tips on this slide with the participants regarding gathering complete information from clients. Give a few moments for response. ACTION: Click slide to reveal tips EXPLAIN: Letting the clients tell their story and listening for significant details including WHO, WHAT, WHEN, and WHERE is important when trying to gather all of the information and facts. Finding a private/comfortable place for clients to talk is very important. Put yourself in the shoes of a client who you are asking to divulge often very painful memories and details. If you were in that client’s situation, you would want to be in a safe, private place if at all possible – even if it is a quiet corner of a room, away from the day to day traffic in your chapter. We know that some caseworkers also are providing assistance for Service to Armed Forces clients. Please consider that some of the photographs and promotional material for SAF clients, which may feature images of military uniforms and weaponry may raise anxiety for RFL clients. Please consider moving those items, or locating your client interviews in a place that is free from those images. We must also pay attention to the non-verbal ways that we interact with our clients, as they too can affect our working relationship with our clients Gestures: The meaning of certain gestures can differ across cultures. For example, nodding in a certain direction can mean “yes” in one culture, but mean “ no” in another , or it could just be a signal that the person is just listening to you. We shouldn’t assume that nodding indicates agreement or disagreement. Just as we discussed before seeing the interview scenarios earlier, we should always ask additional questions to confirm that the client understands what we are saying to them. Personal Space/Posture: Different cultures have differing comfort levels with the amount of personal space between two people engaged in conversation. While in the United States many native-born Americans are comfortable with a few feet of separation between each other, when working with other cultures those distances might be much closer. Taboos: Some cultures consider US cultural norms taboo, such as making direct eye contact; shaking hands between males and females (any touching between sexes) REFER: to additional tips on pages of their Participant Workbook. Then to page 17 for tips on working with interpreters. Both of these can be used as a ‘tear out’ flyers to have on hand for review before meeting with a client. REFER: participants to pages of their Participant Workbook, where they will find an example of a completed tracing inquiry form. This example provides the type and amount of details that caseworkers should collect in client interviews. Give the class a minute or two to look over the form and see what kind of information is collected. Allow them to ask for any clarifications on the fields in the form. BRIDGE: Now that we have discussed working with a client to initiate a new case, we are going to see what happens when a response comes back to you concerning this client’s case, and you must deliver this news to the client.

Delivery of News Mode of Delivery (phone, in-person, mail/email)
Reason for selecting mode of delivery What reactions might you expect from the client when you deliver the news? Steps to take after delivery of news TIME: 10 MIN EXPLAIN: Remember back to our diagram illustrating the path a case takes from your chapter to a Red Cross partner in another country? Well, you are probably wondering what happens once you’ve submitted the RFL case that you opened. Time passes, and you eventually receive a response from National Headquarters regarding the case, and the next step is that you must communicate this new information to the inquirer. Each time national headquarters sends news to be delivered to the client, you will need to deliver the information and then document your efforts in the RFL Database. EXPLAIN: It is important to think about HOW you will deliver the news when delivering information to a client, particularly when you are delivering sensitive information about the whereabouts of people’s family members. News can be delivered to the inquirer in person, over the phone, or by or letter. You should take into consideration the type of news being delivered, but also the wishes of the client. What are the methods available to deliver news? In general, what steps should you take into consideration when delivering news? If the case is accepted which mode of delivery is most ideal? ASK: How would you choose to deliver the news in the following situations? Then solicit answers for the questions on the slide for the following scenarios: When a case is accepted Phone or in writing, via if person cannot be reached by phone with confirmation, but request they confirm a receipt Interim Report (explains the search is continuing) By phone, or if phone is not possible, in writing with confirmation Sought Person Not Found In-person if possible Sought Person Found REFER: to delivery of news considerations on pages 25 of their Participant Workbook. STEPS TO TAKE AFTER DELIVERY OF NEWS EXPLAIN: It is important to provide good, clear, and complete case notes in the RFL database when notifying Headquarters that you have delivered news (or for case correspondence in the Database). Later in the course, after lunch, we will talk more about recording case notes.

TIME: 45 MIN ACTION: If you have not already set up the room for the Conducting a Search exercise, during the Lunch Break you will need to set the room up by putting your community signs up around the room. Refer to instructions on slide 33. NOTE: Immediately after Lunch Break there are 2 optional activities that you can do with the participants, Charades-15 minutes or Headlines-15 minutes. If you are really short on time, the Welcome Back exercise can be skipped. Otherwise, pick one of the two following slides/exercises.

Welcome Back! Let’s Play Charades (sort of…)  Drawing it  Acting it out (with words!)  Drawing and acting it out at the same time  Writing your assigned word(s)  Saying your assigned word(s) TIME: 10 MIN PURPOSE: Post-lunch, light activity to get participants moving and re-engaged with the course, refection on terms and concepts used in the morning, with a ‘sub’-focus on cross-cultural communication. MATERIALS: Markers 3 flip charts EXPLAIN: Welcome back, everyone! We’re going to jump back into the course with a little activity to get us moving but still reflecting a little on the things we talked about this morning. And, much like some of our clients, it will put you to the test – how well can you communicate when you don’t have the right words? EXERCISE SET-UP ACTION: Place 3 flip charts around the room with markers Ask everyone to stand up and leave their things at their desks Have participants break into 3 groups EXPLAIN: Each group will be assigned a word or phrase, your goal is to get the rest of the room to guess your term. You will have 2 minutes to prepare how to present. You can draw or act (or both), but you cannot say or write the phrase. If you act, you can speak, but don’t use the phrase. ACTION: Assign Groups the following terms: Group 1: Separation Group 2: Red Cross Message Group 3: Interview Environment Group 4: Challenges Alternate terms: Tracing; Communication Allow teams 2 minutes to prepare Ask for 1 group to volunteer to go first Each group will present as the other groups try to guess the word DEBRIEF: Talk to participants about the cross-cultural parallels of the exercise ASK: solicit answers to How does this exercise help provide a review of what was discussed in the morning? We reviewed some key terms that we use in the RFL Program that are important to know. How does this exercise help prepare you for working with clients? It was a fun way of gaining an appreciation for the frustration our clients may feel – how difficult it might be for a client to explain their story when they may not have the ability to “Just say it”.

Welcome Back! TIME: 10 MIN PURPOSE: Post-lunch, light activity to get participants re-engaged with the course, refection on terms and concepts used in the morning, with a ‘sub’-focus on cross-cultural communication. MATERIALS: Markers Newsprint EXPLAIN: Welcome back, everyone! We’re going to jump back into the course with a little activity to help us reflect on the things we talked about this morning. EXERCISE SET-UP ACTION: Break participants into teams of 2-3 Give each team a sheet of newsprint at their table, or direct them to an easel. NOTE: If the class is small, this can be done as an individual exercise EXPLAIN: Think back on everything that we talked about today and reflect on what stood out the most to you. Come up with 2 (or more) things that stood out to you, feel free to refer back to your workbook & slides Working together, write a newspaper headline (or headlines) that expresses those ‘stand out’ ideas Write your headlines on the newsprint provided You will have 3 minutes DEBRIEF ACTION: Ask the group for a volunteer to start. Go around the room, let teams share their headlines and then have them post their newsprint on the wall ASK: Great job, It’s fun to see how the information we talked about this morning as stayed with you! Now, thinking about our first big discussion about challenges to integration: if you were from another country would these headlines make sense? NOTE: The purpose of asking this question is to remind us of the various challenges people have when integrating in a new country/community.

Preparing for a Search TIME: 10 MIN
PURPOSE: Participants will practice evaluating and reviewing information provided in a Restoring Family Links inquiry and identifying search methods most likely to be successful. BRIDGE: This morning we looked at helping a client search through Red Cross channels for a relative in another country. Now, let’s look at having an inquirer from another country search for someone in the United States. EXPLAIN: Think back to this morning, remember the diagram that showed the ‘flow’ of a case starting in your office, going to HQ and then on to one of our partners for a search? If you don’t recall the slide, you can see a version of it on page 46 of the Direction & Guidance. When the case starts on the other end of that system, your chapter will receive a Restoring Family Links inquiry from national headquarters asking you to locate a person believed to be in your community. So, where do you start? We’re going to take some time now to brainstorm on this question. EXERCISE SET-UP ACTION: Break class up into groups of 3 to 4 people NOTE: If the class is small you can also facilitate this as a group discussion REFER: to the RCM packet starting on page 26 of their Participant Workbook EXPLAIN: If you received a new Red Cross Message to deliver, this is typical of the information you may receive from National Headquarters. You’ve got a cover letter that provides summarized details about the case as well as some search starting-points and guidance on steps to take when you do locate the recipient. There is also the Red Cross Message to be delivered. If NHQ was able to locate information through an internet search, that report would also be attached. ASK: Let’s look more closely at the information provided on the Red Cross Message. Who is the sender? Who is the recipient? What is the recipient’s relationship to the sender? REFER: to the Direction & Guidance, Conducting a Search on pages 25-27 EXPLAIN: Here you will find some search ideas listed. This is not an exhaustive list, just a starting point. As a group, think about how you would approach this case. Identify your top 5 search avenues based on the information you have in front of you. You will have 5 minutes (or less) and should identify a spokesperson to report out to the group when we are back together. ACTION: Give teams ~5 minutes to discuss and come up with a list. Then click to the next slide.

Preparing for a Search Top Search Avenues: Internet Partner agencies
Ethnic community organizations What to bring on a search Language considerations TIME: 5 MIN NOTE: This is a 2 click slide MATERIALS: Newsprint Marker DEBRIEF ACTION: After ~5 minutes bring everyone back together Ask for a group to volunteer to start Ask them to share their top search avenues You can write the ideas on newsprint, white board or simply have open discussion. NOTE: If participants do not list all of these search avenues, please provide them as additional examples and click slide Conduct internet search for the client (search by name) Look up Crystal Pines to see if it is an apartment, neighborhood, etc. Visit the area (Crystal Pines) and talk to residents, apartment managers, local post office Contact refugee resettlement agencies Look-up and contact agencies/community groups that serve people from DR Congo ASK: If you were going to visit the community where the sought person might live, how would you prepare? What should you bring on your search? What documents might you need to prepare ahead of time? What program materials might be helpful to bring? ACTION: You can make note of ‘field trip supplies” ideas on newsprint . ASK: What language do you think Jean Phillipe speaks? EXPLAIN: You may also need to take into consideration the native language that the client speaks and if interpretation might be needed. Think about what local resources might be available since you cannot know if a client’s friend/relative might be able to assist.

Exercise: Conducting a Search in the Community
TIME: 30 MIN (plan on set-up 10, search 15, debrief 5) PURPOSE: Participants will gain practical experience of conducting a search – a ‘live action’ walk-through so that doing this in their role as a caseworker will feel familiar. MATERIALS: Red Cross brochures Tape Found on pages of instructor resource packet: Role Cards & name tags Community signs (already placed around the room during the lunch break) Home visit materials Exercise options based on class size: More than 12 participants: you may wish to have two casework teams or assign multiple people to a role (i.e. restaurant patrons, apartment residents, agency clients) 6-12 participants: assign 2-3 caseworkers and 1-2 roles at each station. (‘Required’ role cards are indicated by a star in the upper right corner of the card.) 5 or fewer participants: See EXERCISE SET UP: SMALL CLASS - have the entire class pretend to be caseworkers and you can wear multiple hats pretending to be the other roles. You may also wish to bring in outside volunteers to help with the activity. BRIDGE: Great job thinking through how we might start our search! Now, we’re going to put it into practice. ************************************************************************** EXERCISE SET-UP, 6+ PARTICIPANTS EXPLAIN: As you can see, around the room we have built a community. We believe Jean Phillipe might live here, so we’re going to try to find him. ASK: So, what do we find in our community? ARC Chapter Crystal Pines Apartments (which we figured out in our Google searching!) The local Refugee Resettlement Agency The Ethnic Community EXPLAIN: In this exercise a Red Cross casework team will attempt to deliver a Red Cross Message to a client in the community. The purpose of the exercise is to put on our detective hats and experience what it is like to be an RFL caseworker. For this exercise, everyone will be assigned a role to play, either as part of the Red Cross casework team, or as part of the community that holds the key to finding our client so his message can be delivered. Because we want you to all get a feel for what it’s like, if the casework team is not at your station, feel free to ‘hover’ near them. Casework team, anyone ‘hovering’ will be invisible to you. ACTION: Hand out the role cards Direct the Casework team to go to the chapter Direct the community members to all go to one of the others (to start) Brief participant groups separately about their roles. If you are co-teaching, each instructor can brief a group. Casework Team: Discuss a plan of action with the casework team (where to start, what to bring) What is your ‘elevator speech’ about what you are doing? What kind of information do you want to gather? (i.e. names, phone numbers of those you speak with if it seems relevant) Community: If asked, provide the information on the card. If you are asked something that is not on the card, you can say “I don’t know” but also feel free to ad-lib (but don’t say “Oh, yeah, I know him. Here’s his phone number”…). Feel free to mess with them a little bit, too – we’re practicing for situations that you might actually encounter. Ask for clarification on the service; tell them you know someone else who can’t find their family. If you’re a tenant/patron/client, interrupt… HAVE FUN Send community members to their respective posts Allow 5 minutes for everyone to look over their roles. ACTION: After everyone has had time to review their roles, tell the ARC casework team to begin their search in the community. Ideally they will be able to go to all three community locations before the exercise is concluded and the debrief begins Allow about 5 minutes at each location, 15 minutes for the entire search DEBRIEF ASK: For our casework team, What was challenging about the search? What search techniques did you find to be most useful? ASK: For our community, Was there anything you were not asked that might have been useful? What other ideas do you have to make a search more effective in the future? BRIDGE: Alright! So our casework team did an amazing job of starting a search and gathering information. What do you suppose needs to happen next? Hopefully, someone says “document it”  Go to next slide ****************************************************************************************** EXERCISE SET-UP, SMALL CLASS ****Should this only be the ‘starred’ roles?**** ACTION: Facilitators should set themselves up in the front of the room, where they will role-play the various community roles – you will only be using the ‘required’ roles: Apartment Manager, Resettlement Agency Receptionist and Restaurant Owner. EXPLAIN: We are going to practice what it might be like to actually conduct a search in a community. Having already witnessed our acting abilities earlier today, you already have an idea of what you’re about to experience! We have figured out, through our online searching, that Crystal Pines is an apartment complex [hold up Crystal Pines Apartments sign]. If you were going to visit an apartment complex, who would you look for? [group should come up with building manager]. We also know that there is a Refugee Resettlement Agency in the area [hold up sign for Refugee Resettlement Agency]. Every agency will have a Receptionist who know the clients coming in for services. And finally, while we were doing our online search we also learned that there was a Congolese grocery store and some other businesses in one of the ethnic neighborhoods [hold up Ethnic Neighborhood sign] where we will find a Congolese restaurant. The restaurant owner is there every day and probably knows many of his customers. ASK: You are the Red Cross casework team preparing for a search: What is your plan of action – where should you start and what do you think you should bring? [solicit answers, when they mention brochures, home visit letter, etc., provide them with home visit ‘tool kit’.] What is your ‘elevator speech’ about what you are doing and why you are looking for Jean Phillipe? [let the group come up with an explanation of what they are doing and how to explain RFL] In addition to information about Jean Phillipe’s whereabouts, what other kind of information do you want to gather? [you are looking for information like the names, phone numbers of those you speak with if it seems relevant] EXPLAIN: So, with your plans all mapped out, I think you are ready to get started! ACTION: Let the class lead the search. If they decide to start with Crystal Pines, you can put the sign up and attach/hold up the appropriate nametag. Address their questions to the various roles at each location, spend no more than 5 minutes on each ‘location’. If the group should move on to speaking with a new ‘role’, manipulate progression to the next step – for example, as the apartment manager, you could ‘get a phone call’ tell them that they should check the resettlement agency around the corner. Be in the role and have fun with it, too! Ask them questions, too – “What is this service, again? How much does it cost?”, “My brother lives in Tennessee and we haven’t heard from him in 10 years, can you help me find him?”, etc. After all locations have been visited, return to your role as Instructor! ASK: Great job, casework team! You’ve now got a little taste of what it’s like to start a search and gather information by reaching out into the community. How did that feel? BRIDGE: Now, we got a good start to our search, but we didn’t actually find Jean Phillipe. What do you suppose needs to happen next?

Documenting Case Notes
TIME: 4 MIN PURPOSE: Participants will be introduced to the methods of documenting and communicating case updates with the goal of writing and submitting thorough case notes. EXPLAIN: It is very important to document and take detailed case notes. I’m going to compare keeping good case notes to baking a cake. All of the home visits and phone calls are like throwing the ingredients together, but the cake isn’t done until you bake it! Case notes are the equivalent of putting your cake in the oven. All case notes and any communication with NHQ regarding cases should be documented in the RFL Database. This is an example of what the RFL database’s dashboard looks like. What you see on the dashboard is a list of active cases in your chapter or region where the next action in the case is your responsibility. If we take a closer look, we can see that we have two cases to work on. One of them is Jean Phillipe’s case, a request to deliver a Red Cross Message (point to the activity on the screen) We are not going to spend time looking at the database today but it is important to know about the database because all communication regarding cases goes through this system. If you do get involved with casework after taking this course, please speak with the RFL program manager at your chapter; they can request an account for you. REFER: If you do wish to know more about the database, there is a live, web-based overview of the system hosted by NHQ on a regular basis (usually monthly). Please check the Exchange for upcoming dates.

When? Who? Where? What? Why? How? Quality Case Notes TIME: 3 MIN
NOTE: This is a 2 click slide ASK: What type of information do you think should go into good case notes? ACTION: Click slide to reveal more EXPLAIN: Most of us can probably remember back to elementary school, where we all learned to write a newspaper story. The information that had to be included in every story was always the same: “Who, What, When, Where, Why & How.” Casenotes are no different! You want to include as many of these details as possible, and any extra important information. Notes should be complete and kept up to date. It’s also helpful to record the date and time of any client contact or attempt at client contact. This history may establish optimal windows of time for successful contact with clients. ASK: Does anyone have any other advice for keeping good case notes? EXPLAIN: Now that we’ve figured out what goes into good notes, let’s put that into practice. Think back to the last exercise we did. If we were going to document notes about our conversation with the apartment manager, they might look something like this: How?

Casenotes for our conversation with…
The Apartment Manager “Made a home visit to Crystal Pines Apartments on 9/12/17 to see if the sought person was living there. Spoke with the apartment manager, Joe Smith ( ), who was not able to confirm any information about tenants. He did indicate that if their records show that Jean Phillipe did live at Crystal Pines, and he had a forwarding address, he would forward a letter him on our behalf. Left a home visit letter with the manager as well as a flyer to post in the lobby. //CW Joe Searcher, ” TIME: 1 MIN EXPLAIN: These are the notes added to Jean Phillipe’s case after our visit to Crystal Pines. ACTION: Give participants a minute to read through the notes. EXPLAIN: It’s only four sentences, but you can see that all of the information we need to include is in there.

The Apartment Manager Who, What, When, Where, Why, How “Made a home visit to Crystal Pines Apartments on 9/12/17 to see if the sought person was living there. Spoke with the apartment manager, Joe Smith ( ), who was not able to confirm any information about tenants. He said that if their records show that Jean Phillipe had lived at Crystal Pines, and left a forwarding address, he would send a letter on our behalf. Left a home visit letter with the manager as well as a flyer to post in the lobby. //CW Joe Searcher, ” TIME: 2 MIN ACTION: Give participants a minute to note that each ‘category’ is represented in the notes. EXPLAIN: Notice that there are two “Who”s to consider when writing complete case notes – here it is the apartment manager and the caseworker.

The Restaurant Owner How? We made a visit to Where? Ethnic Restaurant (& address) Who? We spoke to the Restaurant Owner When? on Date Why? to see if he knew the sought person TIME: 5 MIN NOTE: This is a 2 click slide EXPLAIN: Now let’s build some notes for the conversation with the restaurant owner. ASK: What is our How and where? [let participants answer] Who did we speak to? [let participants answer] When did we go? [let participants answer] Why did we go there? [let participants answer] What did we learn? [let participants answer] ACTION: once all the questions have been answered, click slide to reveal the ‘completed’ notes. EXPLAIN: Great job! As you can see, as long as the information is in there, the order doesn’t matter. And, anyone picking up this case will know what happened and where or how they may need to follow up without duplicating work that has already been done. What? Someone who may be the SP visits his restaurant every Sunday for lunch. We left flyers…etc…

Information and Referral
A good referral is good customer service: Another way to help our clients Outreach opportunity - introduces ARC services to community partners Learn more about our partner agencies & the services they offer TIME: 5 MIN PURPOSE: Participants understand the importance of providing accurate information and useful referrals to clients; participants know how to use the Direction & Guidance and identify resources in their community. BRIDGE: So far today, we have looked at services that we can provide for our clients – how to assist someone in starting a search, and how to conduct a search for someone in our own community. But in reality, no single organization is going to be able to meet all the needs of every person reaching out to them. It’s important to recognize that another critical element of serving our clients effectively might involve sending them to someone else for help. EXPLAIN: Making a good referral is not only helping the client - at the same time you are opening communication with other agencies, making them more aware of the services Red Cross can provide and learning about the needs in your community. You may end up identifying needs in the RFL community that can be met by other Red Cross services, such as First Aid & Water Safety classes, or Disaster Preparedness Education. ASK: If you’ve already been working with RFL in your chapter, what kind of Information and Referral requests have you received from Restoring Family Links clients? What did you do? Allow participants to share a couple of referral scenarios and then move to the next slide. EXPLAIN: It sounds like we’ve already had some experience with the challenge of trying to help when the request falls outside the scope of the Restoring Family Links program. With that experience, and our handy-dandy Direction & Guidance, let’s try finding solutions to a few more of these situations.

Information and Referral Case Studies
How would you explain the limits of Red Cross in this situation? Where can you find the answer in the Direction and Guidance document? Since this is not a Red Cross service where you can refer the client? TIME: MIN REFER: Direct the participants to the Information and Referral section of the Direction and Guidance on page 31. Allow them a minute or two to look over the topics in the section. EXPLAIN: As you can see, this section has referral information for many of the commonly requested services that fall outside of the scope of Restoring Family Links. We are going to practice thinking through situations where the Red Cross cannot directly help and how those situations can be handled. EXERCISE SET-UP ACTION: Break participants up into 4 groups (2-5 people) and assign a team number to each group. EXPLAIN: to groups that they will be reviewing assigned scenarios and answering the questions on the slide. They will be reporting back to the room on one of their scenarios, so identify a note taker REFER: participants to pages 29 of the Participant Workbook ACTION: Assign Case Studies 1 & 3 to odd number teams and Case Studies 2 & 4 to even number teams. Give teams 5-7 minutes to discuss their case studies. NOTE: Small class option: The instructor can read the case examples out loud and lead a discussion with the class. DEBRIEF ACTION: Tell each group to read one case study and provide their answers. (Group 1 reads study #1, Group 2 reads #2, etc.) ANSWER KEY EXPLAIN: For each case study, teams should have an answer for bullets 2 & 3 that generally reflects the information provided below. For each scenario, the answer for bullet 1 should be along the lines of “while we cannot directly help with this situation, let me see if we can help figure out who may be able to assist…” Case Study #1: Refer Sara to the American Embassy in Turkey. Citizens of other countries who wish to come to the US for a temporary stay for medical treatment should apply for a non-immigrant (visitor) visa at an American Embassy or Consulate abroad. (page 32 of the Direction and Guidance). Case Study #2: Refer Mata to a money transfer agency. Additional referrals could be to other community groups that serve Liberians. The caseworker can also help Mata find information on shipping companies that can send the items as well as pharmaceutical companies or manufacturers that may be able to ship medicine. (page 33 of the Direction and Guidance). Case Study #3: Refer Shristi to the United States Dep. Of State, Office of American Citizen Services. This agency handles all inquiries and issues with U.S. citizens abroad. (page 32 of the Direction and Guidance.) Case Study #4: You can check with Disaster Cycle Services to see if they have any dental health resources. You can also check with other agencies serving refugees and immigrants to see if they have any resources (this answer is not in D&G – the point being that it can’t cover every situation and you need to think on your feet). EXPLAIN: Fantastic problem solving! I know it’s already been said, but it is worth repeating – Information and Referral is one of the most important services Red Cross can provide. People are coming to you because they don’t know where else to go for help, so any accurate and useful information you can provide will be appreciated, even if you can’t directly solve the problem.

Resources – The Exchange
TIME: 3 MIN BRIDGE: As we wrap up our day today, we hope we have been able to give you some useful ideas and skills to help in your work as a Restoring Family Links caseworker. The last thing I’d like to share with you today are a few resources that will help you to stay connected with current issues relating to Restoring Family Links and the populations you may find yourself working with. EXPLAIN: The Restoring Family Links section on the Exchange has many resources including: The D&G and ABC resources we used today Service availability bulletins following disasters Outreach resources RFL Training information Contact information for the HQ team and for RFL Mentors around the country

Resources – Staying Current
Restoring Family Links Blog: restoringfamilylinksblog.com Humanitarian Community: Humanitariancommunity.com Cultural Orientation Resource Center: TIME: 2 MIN EXPLAIN: Elaborate on the following resources The Restoring Family Links Blog posts news stories and is a forum for RFL volunteers to share their experiences (blog submissions are always welcome!) and stay informed about RFL happenings across the country and around the world. Humanitarian Community is a public web site hosted by the American Red Cross. Members and contributors are organizations that serve refugees and migrants. The platform is a place for these organizations to share information about their programs and initiatives. The Cultural Orientation Resource Center has excellent information about refugee resettlement in the United States and learning tools that can be helpful to use when teaching or working with refugees and new comers. BRIDGE: We have covered a lot of material today, and I hope that everyone now has a better understanding of what is involved in being a Restoring Family Links Caseworker! Before we go, though, we’ve got a few more things to do. First, are there any outstanding questions? ACTION: Wait a few moments for participants to ask questions & address them as appropriate. EXPLAIN: Now, let’s revisit what we were hoping to accomplish today.

After this training, you will be able to:
Course Objectives After this training, you will be able to: Provide RFL casework in your community following Red Cross standards When conducting outreach and casework, explain RFL program and processes to clients, community and key stakeholders Work effectively with clients from diverse backgrounds and have a greater understanding of how cultural differences can affect interactions TIME: 3 MIN PURPOSE: This exercise allows participants time to reflect on the information shared throughout the day and start thinking about how they will apply the new knowledge and skills. ASK: (Referencing both the slide and the list you built at the beginning of the day) As we look back on the course objectives from this morning, ask yourself if you feel that we accomplished our goals. Are these all things you feel you might be able to do a little better now than when you walked in the room today? NOTE: Participants can answer, but this question is mainly rhetorical. This is prepping them for the course evaluation.

Course Wrap-up What was the one thing that made the strongest impression on you today? What are your next steps? TIME: 7 MIN EXPLAIN: Before we get to the course evaluations, I’d like to hear from you about your impressions of the day. Please take a minute or two to think about the information we covered today and answer two questions: 1. What was the one thing that made the strongest impression on you? 2. What are your next steps? ACTION: While participants are thinking, pass out course evaluations. DEBRIEF ACTION: Ask for a volunteer to start and go around the room, asking participants to share their thoughts. NOTE: This is a good time to identify who is interested in becoming a caseworker and who is interested in working with outreach. After the class, connect these volunteers to resources at the chapter to get started with their next steps. If there is an Outreach Workshop planned, plug it now! EXPLAIN: Thank you, everyone, for your participation and the great questions and discussion. We hope you all enjoyed yourselves today and we hope you are even more excited about working with a program that you already had a passion for when we started this morning. Before leaving, please complete the course evaluations that were just passed out. If there are any lingering questions, our addresses are in your packet, so feel free to reach out to us at any time.

ACTION: Final slide to display as class is wrapping up

Restoring Family Links

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