July 25, 2006
Forum on Immigrant Issues to be Held in Helena
A one-day forum on issues faced by immigrants in Montana will be held Thursday, Aug. 3, at the Red Lion Colonial Hotel in Helena.
The purpose of the forum is to raise awareness and increase understanding of immigrant issues that exist in Montana. It also provides an opportunity for service providers, policymakers, advocates, and the immigrant community to have interactive discussions about the ability of immigrants to access governmental programs for which they are eligible and about the rights immigrants have under civil rights laws.
The forum is sponsored by federal, state, and local agencies, including the U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services and Agriculture, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Montana Human Rights Network, the Montana Food Bank Network, and the state Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS). The cost to register is $25, which includes breakfast, lunch, and an afternoon snack.
The event will feature a presentation by Dinah Wiley, senior civil rights analyst with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights. Ms. Wiley will review key federal policies governing immigrant access to public benefit programs, with an emphasis on health and social services programs.
A lunchtime panel discussion will feature representatives from Montana immigrant advocacy groups, including the Montana Legal Services Association, Montana Food Bank Network, and Montana Migrant and Seasonal Farmworker Council.
Participants will talk about what their organizations do and how they work with and for immigrants. They also will discuss the presence of immigrants in Montana, the fact that immigrants have rights to receive certain services, and how their organizations have improved the quality of life of the immigrants with whom they work.
Breakout sessions will address:
• Medicaid
• Racial and ethnic health disparities
• Mexican Consulate
• Housing/energy assistance
• Limited English proficiency
• Food assistance
• Immigration
• Domestic violence
• Labor/employment
During the morning session, Salvador Jimenez, Consul of Mexico in Salt Lake City, and Anna Whiting-Sorrell, policy adviser to Gov. Brian Schweitzer, will provide opening remarks.
To register, contact Brenda Falconer, DPHHS, at (406) 444-7056 or bfalconer@mt.gov. The deadline to register is July 31.
For more information, contact Emily Prehm at (800) 368-1019 or (303) 844-7893, Emily.Prehm@hhs.gov or Hyla Schreurs at (800) 368-1019 or (303) 844-7508 Hyla.Schreurs@hhs.gov, at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights.
Page last updated: 07/26/2006
