World Relief REACH Program

WEBSITE:  worldreliefnashville.org

ADDRESS:  1655 Murfreesboro Pike Suite G

CITY, STATE, ZIP:  Nashville, TN  37217

CONTACT/EMAIL:  Betsy Pipher, bpipher@wr.org

PHONE:  615-569-7151

CATEGORY:  Refugee and Immigrant Services Agencies, Employment Services

DESCRIPTION:  The REACH program is designed for refugees, asylees, parolees and special immigrants with professional backgrounds.  REACH seeks to overcome some of the specific barriers faced by the new American population and help them to re-enter the professional workforce in the United States. REACH staff and volunteers assist international professionals in maneuvering the confusing path of recertification and licensure.  They also seek career mentors, internships and employment opportunities for those on the program.

Clients coming from a number of professional backgrounds (medicine, nursing, engineering, teaching, computer science and more) are paired with mentors who currently have a career in the client’s area of expertise. This is a unique relationship that helps the client to rebuild his or her career by developing an understanding of the U.S. business culture and creating a network of professional contacts.

What REACH does: 1) Assess and advise, 2) Skill building, and 3) Mentorships.

ORGANIZATIONAL CAPACITY:  To be eligible for the REACH program, the client must be a refugee, asylee, parolee or anyone entering the country with a special immigrant visa. Clients should have been in the country for 5 years or less and cannot be currently receiving services from another resettlement agency in the area (i.e. NICE, Catholic Charities). Additionally, he or she must have at least a bachelor’s degree from their home country with a minimum of 2 years of professional experience in their field.

FEES:  No

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:  We keep comprehensive case notes on each client/case and are also required to complete a detailed report for Tennessee Office for Refugees each trimester. This report contains data on our outputs (number of clients served, number entering employment, etc).