Multicultural Resources - Local Advocacy
NAACP – (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People)
As the nation’s oldest civil rights organization, the primary focus of the NAACP continues to be the protection and enhancement of the civil rights of African Americans and other minorities, and to ensure the political, educational, social and economic equality of rights of all persons and to eliminate racial hatred and racial discrimination. The NAACP has three branches in Maine: the Portland branch (covering Maine from the New Hampshire border up to Augusta), the Bangor branch (covering Maine from Augusta to the Canadian border), and a prison branch (hosted by the Bangor branch).
Portland Branch
Rachel Talbot-Ross, President
P.O. Box 3631
Portland, ME 04104
Phone: (207) 253-5074
Fax: (207) 253-5079
E-mail: naacpportland@hotmail.com
Website: www.naacpportland.org
Greater Bangor Area Branch
James Varner, President
P.O. Box 477
Old Town, ME 04468
Phone: (207) 827-4493
Fax: (207) 827-8115
Prison Branch
Michael Parker, President
Maine State Prison
807 Cushing Road
Warren, ME 04864
League of United Latin American Citizens (L.U.L.A.C.) - Council 3100
Contact: John Connors
169 Ocean St Suite 205
South Portland, Maine 04106
Phone: (207) 347-7359
E-mail: mainelulac3100@aol.com
National website: www.lulac.org
Hispanic civil rights organization. Monthly meetings.
Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS)
Equal Employment Opportunity Office
E-mail: Holly Pomelow, EEO Coordinator,
Phone: (207) 287-3488, TTY: (207) 287-4479,
State House Station#11
Augusta, ME 04333-0011
Fax:
Mission: the mission of the Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) is to protect and preserve the health and well being of Maine people in order that they may achieve their full potential. Specialized services for the LEP population include:
- All DHHS programs and services offer interpreter services for all people with Limited English Proficiency (LEP) free of charge. Signs are prominently placed in reception areas. Interpreter services are made available through Language Line and contract with Catholic Charities.
- DHHS is the designated agency to oversee Maine’s Refugee Resettlement Program. DHHS provides some services and subcontracts other services with an outside agency. Bureau of Family Independence works closely with Refugee and Immigration Services. See DHHS Refugee Resettlement Program in resource guide for additional information.
- DHHS Public Health Nurses provide health assessments and treatment services to newly arrived refugees, immigrants, and migrant workers in a culturally appropriate way utilizing interpreter services as necessary.
- TANF and ASPIRE programs have designated case managers who specialize in working with refugee clients in areas of training and employment.
- Maine Refugee Advisory Council advises DHHS on Maine’s Refugee Resettlement Plan and advocates for refugees statewide.
- DHHS has established a multilingual register for the purpose of hiring people from a diverse background as Family Independence Specialists in the Bureau of Family Independence.
- All supervisory staff in DHHS has received cultural diversity training.
Maine Department of Labor
Division of Migrant and Immigrant Services
Juan Perez-Febles, Director & Monitor Advocate Updated 3/24/06
185 Lancaster St.
Portland, ME 04104-3574
Phone: (207) 822-0152
Hotline for Migrant and Seasonal Farmworkers: 1-888-307-9800
TTY: 1-800-794-1110
Fax: (207) 822-0221
E-mail: juan.perez-febles@state.me.us
Website: http://www.Maine.gov/labor/bls/mis.htm
The Division shall monitor workforce activities to identify pockets of immigrant and migrant workers throughout the state of Maine. Through proactive efforts, the Division will assist these workers in procuring employment and social services available to them by coordinating with employers, other employees, labor unions, non-profit organizations and federal and state agencies. The Division, through its outreach efforts into the LEP community, is willing to act as the primary coordinating body for migrant and immigrant issues in Maine.
Some of the specialized services for the LEP population include:
- Advocacy
- Employment opportunities and referrals
- Health and human services referrals
- Training opportunities
See Also: Office of Special Counsel for Immigration-Related Unfair Employment Practices
Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS)
Office of
Multicultural Affairs
Contact: Noel Bonham, Director
E-mail: noel.bonham@maine.gov
Contact: Meryl Troop
Meryl Troop, Office of
Multicultural Affairs
11 State House Station,
Greenlaw Building, 3rd floor
Augusta, ME 04333-0011
Cell phone: 207-557-0232 Preferred!
Voice: 207-287-4240
New Toll-Free TTY-only: 1-866-241-8639
FAX: 207.287.4052
E-mail: meryl.troop@maine.gov
Refugee Resettlement Contact: vacant
State House Station #11
Augusta, ME 04333
Website for Multicultural Resource Guide
http://www.maine.gov/dhhs/oma/index.html
This office works toward the goal of assuring all social work services throughout the Department of Health and Human Services continuum of health, child welfare, adult and elderly services, mental health, mental retardation, and substance abuse systems in Maine are accessible and appropriate for immigrant, refugees, limited English proficient and multicultural clients and service providers. The director is responsible for program planning, training, consultation, and education regarding immigrants, refugees, LEP and multicultural persons in need of DHHS services and should be contacted if any questions arise regarding linguistically accessible and culturally relevant services. Specialized services include*:
- Specialized positions: Meryl Troop
- Multicultural library- books, videos, and audio tapes for anyone to borrow.
- Diversity training- all employees in DHHS take Language Access and diversity training with additional training available. A cadre of trainers offers training in a variety of styles to department staff and affiliated program staff. Consultants are brought in for further diversity of styles and trainers. Cultural competence is a performance measure on employee’s annual reviews.
- Interpreter Training Workshops to train bilingual people with the basics of interpreting and training in the unique challenges in health, mental health and substance abuse treatment; interpreting for seasoned interpreters; Round Table discussion groups further professional development.
- Internal policies written and distributed delineating when, where, and how to find, use and pay for interpreters to serve consumers of our services. Signs are prominently posted at each office location-offering interpreters in ten languages. A contract is maintained with Pacific Interpreters to ensure professional, trained, and screened interpreters at a moment’s notice for crisis situations.
- Preparation and updating of this Resource Guide.
- Cross Cultural Family Network meeting facilitation.
- Monthly gatherings of mental health service providers.
- State and region-wide conferences on mental health, trauma, domestic violence, etc. and refugee/multicultural populations.
* The Refugee Resettlement Program is a federally funded program designed to provide assistance in order to help refugees achieve economic self-sufficiency and social adjustment within the shortest time possible after their arrival in the US. The Refugee Resettlement Program contracts with Catholic Charities Maine, Refugee and Immigration Services for refugee resettlement services such as: Cash and Medical Assistance, English language training, employment services, preventive health assessment and treatment services for protection of the public health against contagious diseases.
Maine Service Advocates in Foreign Languages and English, Inc. (S.A.F.E.)
Contact: Priscilla Doel
2802 Riverside Drive
Vassalboro, Maine 04989
Phone: (207) 872-2653
E-mail: padoel@ colby.edu
Maine SAFE is a non-profit, volunteer organization whose primary mission is to provide services and to advocate on behalf of people for whom English is not their first language. Specializing in professional services in Spanish-English, Maine SAFE is positioned to offer its clients services in translations, interpretations, referrals to medical, legal, business and social services, local, state and federal agencies, educational and mediation services.
Maine SAFE is a bilingual Red Cross provider of First Aid, CPR, PDT, and HIV/AIDS outreach programs for the Spanish-speaking community. Maine SAFE offers Spanish courses for adults as well as a special course in Spanish for Health and Human Services Providers. Maine SAFE successfully facilitates communication between Spanish speaking individuals and state and federal agencies.
