YMCA International Services > YMCA International Services Programs

YMCA International Services Programs

IMMIGRATION LEGAL SERVICES

YMCA International Services provides counseling or legal representation to individuals seeking immigration assistance. Assistance is available for adults in area detention centers, asylum seekers, victims of domestic violence, crime victims, or victims of human trafficking. Services also include family reunification visas, adjustment of status and naturalization applications.

  • Detained Adults
  • Unaccompanied Minors
  • Crime Survivors
  • General Immigration (Adjustment of status, naturalization, work permits, family petitions, DACA)

To schedule a consultation, contact our office at 713-758-9280.

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Education Services

YMCA International Services also offers free, in-person and virtual education programs to help clients improve their English, study for and pass their high school equivalency exams, prepare for citizenship, and more generally improve their lives.

Employment

For Houston-area employers: We work with employers in the Houston area to fill staffing needs from our qualified pool of refugee candidates.

Matching Grant Program

The Matching Grant Program is an alternative to public cash assistance. It helps eligible refugees become economically self-sufficient within 120 to 180 days of program eligibility.

Preferred Communities

Our Preferred Communities (PC) program provides medical case management by a Community Health Worker to eligible populations who have serious to severe medical conditions.

Refugee Cash and Medical Assistance

Refugee Cash and Medical Assistance supports eligible participants towards becoming self-sufficient in their first 12 months after arrival in the United States.

Refugee Heath Promotion

The Refugee Health Promotion (RHP) program supports refugee health and wellness through peer support groups facilitated by our clients’ peers.

Refugee Youth Mentoring

The Refugee Youth Mentoring Program’s goals are to promote positive civic and social engagement and support individual educational and vocational advancement for refugee youth through mentorship, arts and outdoor-based group activities along with individual case management services for approximately 5 months. To accomplish these goals, youth are matched with volunteer mentors (one on one or in a group), who support their successful integration by helping them explore their new home city, educational and professional paths, all while practicing English and learning about American culture.

Additionally, youth receive case management to support individual educational and career development goals and are able to attend group outings and workshops facilitated by the program team needed to ensure all refugee youth are well positioned on a path towards self-sufficiency.

Please contact program director, Susie Ventura, at Susana.Ventura@ymcahouston.org for more information.

The Y is in search of compassionate professionals who want to help change the lives of refugee young adults by sharing their personal and professional journey while exploring the city of Houston! To learn more about the program and the impact a mentoring relationship can have on refugee youth, please fill out our interest form below and a member of our team will reach out to you.

Social Adjustment Services

Social Adjustment Services (SAS) is a program to identify and remove barriers for clients to set them on a path to self-sufficiency.

The U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP)

The U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP), which is managed by the Department of State, resettles refugees from around the world in the United States.

TRAFFICKED PERSONS ASSISTANCE PROGRAM

In 2003, the Y established the Trafficked Persons Assistance Program to identify and assist victims of human trafficking, regardless of their legal status. The program provides direct client services and raises awareness in the community through education and outreach. Intensive case management services are available to both foreign national and U.S. national victims of human trafficking.

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POST RELEASE SERVICES

The Y provides Post-Release Services (PRS) to children released from the Office of Resettlement (ORR) care facilities. The PRS program provides our families with supportive services during the child’s transition into the community and helps them identify resources and navigate the various systems in the U.S. Our goal is to work collaboratively with families to ensure that the child has a positive integration into their new home and community.

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