 |
Maryland Refugees Gain Special Access at the MVA
By Daniel Sturm, RefugeeWorks
Obtaining a driver’s license is one of the largest barriers to employment, and for newcomers who live in Maryland, that obstacle used to be even larger.
Unlike everyone else, refugees could not just show up at one of the Motor Vehicle Administration’s regional offices. Instead, they were required to call a 1-800 number, and schedule an appointment at the MVA regional office in Annapolis. This task was a challenge for newly arrived refugees with little or no English skills.
“Some of them have no telephone at home,” said Mamadou Sy, a program coordinator at Lutheran Social Services in Baltimore. For others, navigating through the automated telephone system was difficult. Refugees in Maryland were more likely to go months without an appropriate state ID.
Sy, a native of Senegal himself, recalls that the problem spilled over into the resettlement center. Caseworkers were becoming bogged down by an increasing number of clients who needed help with scheduling appointments.
In addition to the challenge of the automated telephone system, refugees had difficulty getting to Annapolis, which was a 45-minute drive from Baltimore. And even refugees with advanced English skills who’d managed to schedule an appointment and car-pool to the state capitol were not yet home free. “MVA staff were unfamiliar with the I-94, or the Employment Authorization Document,” Sy said. “They were often asking clients to bring a passport.”
Sy’s colleagues at the Baltimore Resettlement Center (which houses four national voluntary agencies) forwarded their concerns to the Maryland Office of New Americans, which in turn was able to strike a deal with the MVA.
Today voluntary agencies send a weekly list of names to a designated staff person who is well trained and knows about the clients in advance. And clients now have a special window for newcomers only. In October the Baltimore Resettlement Center’s staff started a monthly car-pool. “The new program works very well now,” said Sy. “It allows us to process more clients than ever before.” |
|
|
|
Transportation:
Tips From the Field
Collaborating With Employers
It’s one thing to have a job; it’s another to actually get to and from that job. With a few small (and yet profound) adaptations, ABX Air, Wilmington, Ohio, has taken it upon itself to break down the transportation barrier. Click here for the full story.
Establishing a
Reverse Commuter Line
In Louisville, Kentucky, residents in job-scarce areas of the city had difficulty getting to work in the out-lying industrial areas – commuting on average two hours in each direction. The Transit Authority of River City (TARC) established an express route between West Louisville and the Bluegrass Industrial Park in 1997. After the reorganization, the travel time was reduced to 45 minutes. Read how this effort benefits refugees here.
Maryland Refugees
Gain Special Access to MVA
Obtaining a driver’s license is one of the largest barriers to employment, and for newcomers who live in Maryland, that obstacle used to be even larger. Automated phone systems and long lines kept many refugees waiting months for a driver’s license. Employment staff at the Baltimore Resettlement Center shared their concerns with the Maryland Office of New Americans, which in turn was able to strike a deal with the MVA. Read more about their efforts and the solution here.
|
|
|
|
