Refugee Service Provider Information

Those who provide services to refugees face a continuing need for up-to-date, culturally sensitive resources to help their clients become economically & socially self-sufficient.  Those resources involve a wide range of topics including links to bilingual materials, housing assistance, mental & physical health providers, BMRLS acts as a clearinghouse for the information we receive that might be useful in this regard.  Providers should also complete the Refugee Service Provider Training Requirements . Any If you have any questions or concerns regarding the subject matter, please contact Irina  Zelenskaya at irina.zelenskaya@dwd.state.wi.us or Elena Frishman, Program Manager for Refugee Employment Programs, at elena.frishman@dwd.state.wi.us.

Cultural Profiles

Wisconsin's refugee population is a diverse and dynamic group of individuals.  Each comes to the United States with a past marred by persecution and with hopes of building a better life for themselves and their families.  Most refugees resettled in Wisconsin over the last two decades have been Southeast Asians, but more recently the population has become more diverse with people from countries in strife, such as Bosnia, Somalia and the former Soviet Union.  This site links to cultural profiles in an effort to foster a better understanding of these populations.