Documents two cross-service training activities conducted by Bridging Refugee Youth and Children’s Services (BRYCS) in DeKalb County, which has the highest concentration of refugee populations in the metropolitan area of Atlanta, Georgia. Training participants included representatives from public child welfare and refugee-serving agencies, who contributed to a resource manual specially developed for the training sessions containing descriptions and operating structures of their agencies. The second training session differed significantly from the first insofar as representatives from organizations that provided direct services to the agencies in the areas of mental health, parenting, life skills, and substance abuse counseling also were invited to attend. In both training sessions, participants identified priorities, including increased collaboration among service providers to make connections with immigrant and refugee families, enhancement of the mental health/counseling service capacity, and identification of funding sources to support programs aimed at sustaining the well being of immigrant and refugee populations. Participants also indicated that BRYCS effectively served as a neutral party between various service systems by providing a venue for dialogue on cross-system collaboration and resource sharing.
