Discusses the role of indigenous paraprofessionals in the resettlement of refugees with whom they share linguistic and cultural backgrounds. A Boston, Massachusetts-based program to resettle Jewish refugees from the former Soviet Union illustrates how professional resettlement agency staff and paraprofessionals together can meet the increasing demands of implementing a range of services, from financial assistance and housing to health care and job counseling. In this context, paraprofessionals were former Russian refugees who shared the client population’s experience of migration and resettlement, served as role models for newcomers, bridged linguistic and cultural barriers, and offered insights to enhance rapport between service providers and refugees. The roles and responsibilities of paraprofessionals and professionals were clearly delineated: while paraprofessionals performed routine concrete tasks and provided emotional support to clients, professionals were involved in clinical judgments and therapeutic interventions. In the Boston program, an appropriate bilingual/bicultural paraprofessional staff member needed to be sufficiently fluent in English to handle such functions as maintaining records, using the telephone to advocate for clients, and participating in meetings; be college educated; and have some prior human service-related experience. All paraprofessionals received training and continual supervision, usually by the professional staff.
