Welcoming, settling in and support services for new arrivals (Component 1)

This program component is designed to provide services to assist new immigrants in settling in and guiding them in their integration efforts. The supply of services to help new arrivals settle in and support them during their integration is addressed by this component of the program.

Objectives

• To help new arrivals settle in.
• To assess with new arrivals, using the guide Learning about Québec, the steps they will have to take to integrate into Québec; to help them define their short-, medium- and long-term objectives and follow-up on their progress.
• To provide services to help new arrivals adapt to their new environment and to better understand the functioning of Québec society.
• To ease the transition and adaptation of new arrivals to the job market.
• To help new arrivals understand the functioning, mechanisms and rules of the job market and of vocational and technical training in Québec.
• To familiarize new arrivals with the realities and values of the Québec job market.
• To help new arrivals access and use the services offered by public and private organizations.

Eligible services and activities

As a general rule, organizations must offer the three ranges of services described in this section. Their activities can pertain to one, several or all aspects of the integration process (settling in and adaptation to the job market).

However, an organization with special expertise that corresponds to a specific need of the clientele can, in this instance, be funded to exclusively offer integration assistance services.

• Support services for new arrivals: offer new arrivals support adapted to their needs and characteristics in order to give them greater control over their integration process. This support translates into the following services:
  • Evaluation: using the Learning about Québec guide, help new arrivals broadly define their needs in terms of social or economic integration and assist them in defining the steps they must take in the short and medium terms.
  • Orientation: direct new arrivals to resources, services and programs offered to the general Québec population, including those pertaining to housing, health and social services, education, consumer issues or work (recognition of skills, francization, self-knowledge, socioprofessional bereavement, etc.).
  • Follow-up: provide follow-up with new arrivals to ensure that their integration process is successful and to offer any necessary encouragement and support in order to enable them to pursue their efforts.

The support service does not include professional psychotherapeutic interventions or psychosocial support related to psychological, family or other problems related or unrelated to adapting to a new environment.

• Integration support services: offer new immigrants activities to help them achieve their integration objectives as quickly as possible. Activities can include:
  • Settling in: information sessions on housing, transportation, the education system, Québec social customs, language matching or social integration, or housing search support.
  • Adapting to the job market: introduction to the tools and abilities required for a successful job search in the Québec context (curriculum vitae and letter of introduction, simulated interviews, preparation for calling employers, approaching employers, etc.), organizations of exploratory internships (unpaid) in the workplace or professional matching to introduce new arrivals to the Québec context for practising a profession or trade. French-learning activities are not included in this component.

With the exception of matching activities, not-for-profit organizations must promote group activities and the intervention of community resources.

• Frontline services:
  • To inform and advise new arrivals on immediate issues related to their settling in (housing, transportation, access to health and social services, schools, etc.) and guide them, as needed, to the appropriate services.
  • To help new arrivals with limited knowledge of French or of the vocabulary required to complete forms, make telephone calls to obtain information or access a service.
  • To work toward the resolution of disagreements, help newcomers find solutions or compromises with another party, help them exercise their rights and understand their obligations.
  • To verbally communicate, in the person’s spoken tongue, the equivalent of what was said or written in another language and vice versa.
  • To translate into written French a document written in another language. This service does not include the translation of diplomas, competency cards or legal documents or interpretation and translation services that may be offered by public organizations, particularly in the health and social services sector.