It takes time to move systems.
The Uniting for Ukraine Program has provided the means for tens of thousands of Ukrainians to come to the United States and be protected under parolee status this year, but it comes with its own unique set of challenges.
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Typically, the Connecticut Department of Public Health, which runs a Refugee and Immigration Health Program, has a number of resources and networks set up to assist refugees entering the state. One of these is a Refugee Health Assessment Form to act as a resource for health providers that have refugee patients.
Uniquely, he U4U Program requires only two things from their Ukrainian beneficiaries: Up-to-date vaccinations and tuberculosis testing for those aged two and older.
As of right now, U4U parolees must attest that they have either received these vaccinations and tests, or will when they get to the United States.
“At this point, there’s no mandated reporting of the things that the U4U entrants have attested to,” said Alison Straton, Tuberculosis Control Program Manager of the CT Department of Health. “It is really important for us to know about the Tuberculosis testing, because Ukraine has a much higher level of incidents and prevalence of Tuberculosis than many other countries in the world, and certainly much higher than in Connecticut.”
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This also means that U4U entrants are not required to get physical and mental health screenings.
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Mitchel Jobble, Connecticut’s State Refugee and Immigration Health Coordinator, said that most U4U entrants have been opting out of any further health screenings for the time being.
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“We’re happy to have them do the whole assessment, we want them to, but it’s not mandated,” said Jobble.
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In Connecticut, there had been an established system for refugee resettlement, but this differs from what the U4U parolees are experiencing. Some benefits, like Medicaid, were not widely accessible to Ukrainian nationals until recently.
“It takes time to move systems,” said Straton.
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To inform Ukrainian parolees of what medical resources are available and encourage them to get health assessments, Jobble worked with staff at IRIS to create a flier that would inform a U4U individual about how to schedule a screening. The flier is in Ukrainian, Russian, and English.
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While refugees with state health insurance can go to nearly any Medicaid provider, not all providers have the training or expertise to work with newly arrived parolees. IRIS has been compiling lists of Medicaid providers who work most often with refugees and who have more experience with PTSD and other health issues that stem from sudden dislocation and trauma.
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Some health care professionals around Connecticut work pro-bono to provide refugees the health education they need. Y-Healer, a collaboration between Yale medical professionals, IRIS, and volunteers at Elena’s Light, provides health education to refugees and asylees in the New Haven area. They hold virtual talks for women and children and assist in connecting refugees with health resources.
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Elena’s Light, a 501c3 organization located in New Haven, was started by Afghani immigrant Fereshteh Ganjavi back in 2018 as an ESL training program. Ganjavi, who had been client, intern, and then healthcare coordinator at IRIS, knew that there were other aspects of resettlement that needed volunteer assistance. In the Fall of 2019, they began a partnership with Y-Healer, with the aim to “increase health literacy, encourage patient autonomy, and help clients practice good health behavior”.
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“We have classes on how to navigate the healthcare system, how to go about it and who to get in contact with,” said Rachel Schaffer, Health Director at Elena’s Light. “And then, if someone's interested, we try to help refer them to a private care doctor and get them set up there, which is also just piggybacking off the great medical system we have set up in New Haven.”
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Elena's Light is just one of many Connecticut organizations offering health resources to refugees at this time. For a list, see the map in Community Engagement.
