Immigrant and Internationals Resources
DHS is committed to providing high-quality services that are culturally competent, accessible and demonstrate respect for individuals, their goals and preferences. As the number and diversity of immigrants and internationals has grown in Allegheny County, DHS established the Immigrants and Internationals Initiative. The Advisory Council, composed of immigrants and internationals and organizations which serve them, advises DHS on issues of concern and on ways to improve accessibility of services and cultural competency.
The Immigrant and Internationals Resources section of the DHS website contains information about some of the resources of particular interest to members of the immigrant and internationals community and those who assist them. To suggest other resources to be included here, please contact Barbara Murock, Immigrant and International Initiative project manager.
Resources
Many agencies and nonprofits in Allegheny County provide supports for individuals and families in need. Some offer specific services to assist those whose primary language is not English and/or are immigrants and internationals.
Child Welfare
Citizenship Classes
Cultural Information (information about international groups in Pittsburgh)
DHS Publications in Other Languages
Education/Schools
Health Care
Immigrant Eligibility for Public Benefits Guide
Income Tax Return Preparation Assistance
Language (interpretation/translation) Services
Legal Assistance
Literacy Classes
Meeting Rooms for DHS-sponsored Immigrant and International Groups
Social Service Providers
Workforce Development
Glossary of Terms
Child Welfare (Child Abuse)
Bridging Refugee Youth and Children’s Services (BRYCS)
Provides technical assistance to organizations nationwide that serve refugees and immigrants so that all newcomer children and youth can reach their potential. BRYCS provides extensive information about refugee populations, free publications about serving foreign-born children, and promising practices from around the country. They have highlighted resources on topics such as child abuse and culture, childhood in transition, and how to effectively use interpreters in parent-teacher conferences. BRYCS Child Welfare Publications
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Citizenship Classes
Acculturation for Justice, Access and Peace Outreach (AJAPO)
Assists in the following:
- Naturalization services
- Application review
- Application filing
- Citizenship classes
- Interview practice
- Representation at naturalization interview
Contact Yinka Aganga-Williams for further details: 412-391-4985,
email: info@ajapo.com
Allegheny Intermediate Unit (AIU)
Provides optional citizenship classes to students who sign up for regular English as a Second Language (ESL) classes at the AIU. A placement test, by appointment, is required before registering for ESL classes.
Contact the Adult ESL Branch for further details at 412-281-4494.
Goodwill of SWPA
Provides citizenship classes for those applying for citizenship. Classes are offered on an as-needed basis. Classes use a variety of citizenship workbooks, geared toward passing the citizenship test.
Contact Jennifer Kenna for further details at 412-390-2274.
Jewish Family and Children Services (JF&CS) and Pittsburgh Refugee and Immigrant Assistance Center (PRIAC)
Assists in the following:
- Naturalization services
- Application review
- Application filing
- Citizenship classes
- Interview practice
- Representation at naturalization interview
Contact Jamie Englert for further details, 412-521-1737, email: jenglert@jfcspgh.org
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Cultural Information about Immigrants and Internationals for Providers of Services
DHS Publications in Other Languages
Education/Schools
Local
English as a Second Language (ESL) Department of the Pittsburgh Public Schools
Provides information about the Pittsburgh Public School ESL program as well as connections to other websites that are good resources for ESL teachers and after-school programs.
English as a Second Language (ESL) Goodwill Industries of Western Pennsylvania
Offers comprehensive ESL services.
Somali-Bantu Ombudsman of the Pittsburgh Public Schools
Provides help to resolve issues that Somali-Bantu students and their families may encounter in the Pittsburgh public schools. Mr. Abdul Kadir Aarale is the Pittsburgh School District ombudsman/liaison for the Somali-Bantu community. Mr. Aarale speaks Somali and Swahili.
Abdul Kadir Aarale
412-805-6704
aarale1@pghboe.net
National
Bridging Refugee Youth and Children Services (BRYCS)
Helps refugee children adapt to American schools—whether academically, culturally, or psychosocially—by being a clearinghouse of information for schools (teachers and school administrators) and youth-development programs.
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Health Care
Immigrant Eligibility for Public Benefits Guide
Some publicly funded benefits are available to immigrants depending on their needs and immigration status. Eligibility guidelines for benefits that assist with housing, food, health insurance, medical care, legal issues and income can be complex and vary depending on many factors. This guide provides detailed information regarding qualifications for many of the most common publicly-funded benefits.
Income Tax Return Preparation Assistance
I-CAN!® E-file
Offers free, on-line, tax-filing of both federal and state income tax returns. There is no income limit to use I-CAN!® E-file. I-CAN!® E-file can be used to file federal and state tax returns together if the filer has lived and worked all year in Pennsylvania. Free online chat is available to assist filers with questions about using I-CAN!® E-file. Services available in Spanish.
Just Harvest
Offers free tax return preparation assistance through April for families earning less than $40,000 per year. A Just Harvest tax preparation counselor will e-file the tax return for the client. No walk-ins are accepted. Call to schedule an appointment for tax prep assistance.
Contact: 412-431-8964
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Language Services
ECHO International
Translates primarily business and medical documents.
Excel Translations, INC.
Translates primarily business and medical documents.
Language Line®.
Connects callers via phone with an interpreter. May not be functional with some less commonly found languages. Users must pre-register and pay a fee for services.
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Legal Assistance
Many immigrants and refugees are unfamiliar with the complex immigration laws that regulate their immigration status. Some, including undocumented immigrants, do not seek help for fear of being imprisoned or deported. These factors, together with high attorney fees, discourage many eligible immigrants from accessing the legal services they need. Fortunately, several organizations in Allegheny County offer free or low-cost legal assistance to immigrants and refugees.
Jewish Family and Children’s Services’ Pittsburgh Refugee and Immigrant Assistance Center (PRIAC)
Offers family and immigration law assistance to low-income refugees and immigrants in Pittsburgh.
Jamie Englert, Phone: 412-422-7200, e-mail: jenglert@jfcspgh.org OR
Joyce Ramirez, Esq., Phone: 412-521-1737, e-mail: jramirez@jfcspgh.org
The Pro Bono Center of the Allegheny Bar Association
Provides a list of the 17 member organizations of the Allegheny Bar Association Pro Bono Center that provide legal services to individuals with low-incomes.
Barbara Griffin
412-402-6677
bgriffin@acba.org
University of Pittsburgh Immigration Law Clinic
Seeks to represent immigrants requesting asylum, facing removal from the United States, and seeking special protection under the Violence Against Women Act. Clients may include refugees, immigrant women and children survivors of domestic violence applying to change their status, persons with criminal convictions who seek relief from removal from the United States and other immigrant populations.
Sheila Vélez Martínez
412-383-9897
siv7@pitt.edu
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Literacy Classes
Allegheny Intermediate Unit (AIU)
Provides instruction and services that meet the needs of Pittsburgh’s diverse community of learners through partnerships and collaborative leadership. Services offered by the AIU include a wide-ranging program of Adult Basic Education and adult English as a Second Language (ESL)
AIU3
Danis Kubiak
Adult Education and Workforce Development, Adult ESL
412-281-4494
danis.kubiak@aiu3.net
Goodwill Industries of Pittsburgh
Provides English as a Second Language (ESL) day classes for adults who are non-native English speakers of all English proficiency levels. In addition to learning vocabulary and English grammar and developing writing skills, students also learn about American culture and the cultures of other students from all around the world.
118 52nd Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15201
412-632-1752
ESL: Michael Johnson
412-632-1855
michael.johnson@goodwillswpa.org or english@goodwillswpa.org
Greater Pittsburgh Literacy Council (GPLC)
Provides English as a Second Language (ESL) classes for adults who are non-native English speakers as part of their mission to ensure that adults and families acquire reading, writing, math, English language, workforce skills, and computer skills so they may reach their fullest potential in life and participate productively in their community. ESL classes are offered in Prospect Park, Greentree, East End, Oakland, South Hills, North Hills and Northwest Pittsburgh.
GPLC
100 Sheridan Sq., 4th Floor
Pittsburgh, PA 15206
412-661-7323
info@gplc.org
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Meeting Rooms for DHS-sponsored Immigrant and International groups
As part of the effort to support immigrant and international groups in developing social support and self-sufficiency, DHS has offered to sponsor their meetings in the lower level conference rooms of the Human Services Building, located in downtown Pittsburgh at One Smithfield Street. Rooms are only for use by groups with a DHS sponsor and are made available on a first-come, first-served basis.
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Meeting Room-Use Policy for DHS-sponsored Immigrant and International Groups
Social Service Providers
Workforce Development
Allegheny Intermediate Unit (AIU)
Provides instruction and services that meet the needs of Pittsburgh’s diverse community of learners through partnerships and collaborative leadership. Services offered by the AIU include:
- Adult Basic Education and English as a Second Language
- Early childhood and family support services through family literacy support, early care and education, and comprehensive case management
- Workforce development for economically challenged adults
- Customized job training for adults in the workplace
AIU3
Danis Kubiak
Adult Education and Workforce Development, Adult ESL
412-281-4494
danis.kubiak@aiu3.net
Career Development Center
Services range from career counseling for individuals to classes on conducting a successful job search, résumé writing and interviewing techniques. The Career Development Center helps clients manage transition, clarify and reach their goals and find employment success.
Career Development Center
Wendy Solomon
5743 Bartlett Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15217
wsolomon@jfcspgh.org
CareerLink
Connects employers and job seekers in the most efficient manner possible. At the on-stop sites in downtown Pittsburgh, Forest Hills, Robinson Township and South Side, highly-trained staff offers visitors a wide range of materials, consultation services, and on-line access to a comprehensive database of employment information.
Goodwill Industries of Pittsburgh
Provides English as a Second Language (ESL) day classes for adults who are non-native English speakers of all English proficiency levels. In addition to learning vocabulary and English grammar and developing writing skills, students also learn about American culture and the cultures of other students from all around the world.
Robert S. Foltz Building
118 52nd Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15201
412-481-9005
ESL: Jackie Abel-Stavropoulos, 412-632-1752
Stavropoulos@goodwillpitt.org
RefugeeWorks
Provides, to the national audience, training, consulting and publishing services to the national refugee employment network. As part of the national Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services, they are committed to helping refugees achieve economic self-sufficiency.
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Glossary of Terms
Refugee: an immigrant who flees his or her country due to persecution or a well-founded fear of persecution because of race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a social group and who obtains the status while abroad.
Immigrant: a person who is not a U.S. citizen or national who enters the United States with the intent to remain for an indefinite period of time.
Internationals: include students, tourists and visiting workers. Internationals are not immigrants, and are sometimes called non-immigrants because they are in the country on a non-permanent basis.
Undocumented Immigrant: a person who is not a U.S. citizen or national, who has entered the United States (or has remained in the United States) without proper documentation and who does not have legal status for immigration purposes.
Limited English Proficiency (LEP): describes individuals who do not speak English as their primary language and who have a limited ability to read, speak, write, or understand English.
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