Welcome to our intranet, where you can find resources & support as a HIAS volunteer. Below, you can find information about HIAS. Please use the tabs at the top of this page to find resources for volunteers, asylum seekers, and our current projects and programming.
HIAS has historically protected those fleeing violence, persecution and torture, defending them against deportation by securing humanitarian legal status and keeping families united through reunification. As refugees’ access to protection is increasingly restricted, HIAS’ U.S. legal program seeks to safeguard and increase rights for refugees and other displaced people upon their arrival to the U.S. and throughout their journey to citizenship.
Today, HIAS’ U.S. Legal Protection team seeks to provide various forms of humanitarian relief and holistic support to our clients who arrive in desperate need of protection. Our clients include refugees who seek asylum due to persecution or torture, and other displaced people who are victims of human trafficking and other violent crimes in the U.S., including gender-based violence and hate crimes. Many of our clients are children who have fled gang violence and familial abuse, neglect or abandonment, and whose governments have failed to protect them. Others are human rights activists from throughout Africa and the Middle East, and still others have been persecuted for their race, religion, sexuality, or nationality.
The Legal and Asylum Department’s Social Services team was established in 2022 to expand the provision of holistic, wraparound support services to HIAS Legal and Pro Bono Partnership clients in Silver Spring and New York. The team includes a Clinical Case Management Program in Silver Spring, Volunteer Services Programs in both Silver Spring and New York, and the Asylee Outreach Project.
Case Management services are available to clients receiving legal services from HIAS attorneys and through the Pro-Bono & Partnerships program. Services include need-based screening and assessment, emotional and psychosocial support and education, crisis intervention, and referrals to and assistance in accessing community resources. Case Managers works closely with the Volunteer Program team to enhance psychosocial support through the provision of volunteer services. The Case Management program is designed to assist clients who report unsafe, unstable or inadequate access to housing, income, food, clothing, transportation, childcare, or education, with a particular focus on victims of gender-based violence. Crisis intervention and safety planning services are available to clients experiencing intimate-partner or gender-based violence or who are in need of mental health services. Clients may contact the Case Management program directly or may be referred by the Legal and Pro Bono & Partnerships programs. All clients referred to the Social Services program receive a full intake, screening and assessment by our Clinical Case Manager.
The HIAS Volunteer Program trains, mobilizes, and oversees community members in direct service, translation/interpretation, and specialized projects to benefit and empower clients in the Legal Services department and Asylee Outreach Project (AOP) as well as asylum seekers and refugees in the Washington, D.C. and New York metropolitan areas. Direct service volunteers partner with clients to provide mentorship, English language assistance, translation and interpretation, or accompaniment to appointments or interviews. Individuals and groups engage in specialized projects that may include donation drives, fundraisers, educational events, and the development of educational or resource material. All volunteers working directly with clients undergo a recruitment and onboarding process which includes comprehensive vetting and training.
The Asylee Outreach Project (AOP) at HIAS works to increase the number of asylees accessing U.S. Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR)-funded benefits and services through their local resettlement agencies following their asylum grant. Funded by the Maryland Office of Refugees and Asylees (MORA), the AOP works directly with individuals and families who have received asylum and live in the state of Maryland by referring them directly to their local resettlement agencies. The AOP also provides legal support coordination for Afghan parolees in the state of Maryland still needing to apply for asylum or other immigration benefits by assessing their legal needs and referring them for legal support and/or representation.
Donations made to the Legal and Asylum Department’s Social Services team are used entirely to provide direct financial assistance to our clients. You can make an online donation at www.hias.org. Be sure to notify us via email at development@hias.org that your donation is for “L&A Social Service Pool.” Send a copy of your email to our Assistant Director, Social Services at sheri.laigle@hias.org. You can also send a check to HIAS at PO Box 97077, Washington, D.C. 20090-7077. Be sure to write “L&A Social Service Pool” in the memo line. Send a notification of your donation to sheri.laigle@hias.org.