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This blog is the latest installment in N4’s Featured Member series, which highlights the diverse work and experiences of N4 members across Canada.
Astrid Velasquez is a Program Manager in Immigration and Settlement Services at Catholic Social Services (CSS) in Edmonton, Alberta, and currently on secondment to lead the newly opened New Canadians Health Centre, as well as an N4 member. Astrid also has lived experience as a newcomer, having immigrated to Edmonton nearly two decades ago from Colombia. Astrid sees herself as, “one of the lucky ones, because when I came, I was younger, and I came with my mom, my dad, and my siblings...so we didn’t have to leave anyone behind, so that really gave us a lot of security.”
From her first day as a Settlement Counselor at CSS 16 years ago, Astrid found that she was deeply passionate about the organization’s work, “...the first time that I went to Catholic Social Services, I was like, oh, I love this work, and helping people...that’s when I got really interested in just giving back and helping others like me who were coming to Edmonton.” Astrid has served in a variety of roles since then and observed many different waves of immigration. Canada welcomed Karen refugees from Myanmar beginning in 2006, with the first groups settling in Edmonton in 2007. This highlighted a gap in Edmonton’s health services, as many Karen refugees needed treatment for tuberculosis, but clinics in Edmonton were unequipped to provide these services to them. Astrid cites this as one of the events that led to the founding of the New Canadians Clinic (NCC). The NCC was founded through a collaboration between CSS, Alberta Health Services (AHS), and other agencies to address systemic gaps and serve any Government-Assisted Refugees (GARs) who were resettled in Edmonton.
By 2017, the NCC was welcoming hundreds of GARs each year. They recognized that their capacity was becoming increasingly limited and in response, all services were shifted to another health center managed by AHS. Astrid and her team from the NCC formed the Refugee Health Coalition (RHC) in conjunction with settlement agencies, healthcare providers, academics, and other Edmonton-based partners. They identified that despite welcoming an increasing number of GARs with diverse and complex needs, Edmonton was the only city in Canada without a dedicated refugee health center. As a result, their clients were experiencing difficulties in having their most basic health care needs met.
To Astrid, this was a gap that needed to be solved, “I always believe that refugees are so resilient, and they are amazing, and they always want to give back, but if they don’t get the proper settlement, the proper services at the beginning, they’re not going to be able to settle successfully. Because a mom who is sick is not able to take her kids to school, or somebody who is not being diagnosed early with a different illness is not going to be able to manage, and then is going to end up in an intensive care unit.... all of this can be prevented.”
The RHC continued to advocate for a dedicated refugee health center, and on August 31, 2021, the New Canadians Health Centre opened its doors for the first time – something that Astrid describes as “a dream come true.” The New Canadians Health Centre works closely with the Alberta Ministry of Health, the University of Alberta, and other settlement agencies in Edmonton to welcome GARs, privately sponsored refugees, and permanent residents. Its model is to serve as a one-stop shop where all their clients’ health needs can be met at once, including appointments with doctors (including specialists), immunizations, and mental health services, all with any required interpretation support. Astrid and her team at the New Canadians Health Centre look forward to welcoming Afghan refugees to Edmonton.
Maps depicting where the New Canadians Health Centre's clients are originally from. Images courtesy of the New Canadians Health Centre.
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