San Diego Refugee Communities Coalition
UWEAST is one of the eleven founding members of San Diego Refugee Communities Coalition (SDRCC). The coalition members work together to find solutions to address structural inequities faced by refugee communities.
To learn more about SDRCC, please visit the SDRCC website:

SDRCC Afghan Project
The Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) allocated supplemental funds from the Afghanistan Supplemental Appropriations Act to the California Department of Social Services (CDSS) to provide support services to newly arrived youth and families from Afghanistan through the Afghan Refugee School Impact (ARSI) and the Afghan Youth Mentoring (AYM) programs.
The goal for the ARSI and AYM programs is to provide community-based and client-centered support services to newly arrived Afghan youth and their families. The purpose of the ARSI and AYM programs is to support the successful integration of newcomer Afghan youth and their families.
The funds provided for services pursuant to this Agreement shall be for the sole purpose of coordinating and overseeing the provision of linguistically and culturally responsive case management and support services to youth and families as approved by CDSS in the Grantee’s program plan.
The ARSI and AYM program coordinate, oversee, and provide services, which shall include, but not be limited to:
1. Connections for Basic Needs Support.
2. Family Engagement and Empowerment.
3. Youth Engagement and Development.
4. Development and coordination of a community of practice.
Activities will integrate approaches in service delivery to Afghan newcomers so as not to exacerbate trauma. The Grantee shall implement policies and procedures for sustaining staff well-being, including practices for preventing secondary and other trauma.