A brief document providing a current update to some of the
demographic information examined and analyzed in the Travis County
Immigrant Assessment completed in 2006 – 2007.

Right click here and Save Target As to download the pdf for print.

10:30 Welcome and Steering Committee Updates
1. Travis County Commissioners Court informational presentation – Afternoon of April 22nd (Granger Building, 314 W. 11th Street). ISNA members are invited to attend to show support.
2. Steering Committee Elections next month – three spots are open. If you are interested, give your name to Chris.
3. Reminder about published Immigrant Services Directory. Take one today, and PDF will be posted shortly on www.isnaustin.org

10:45 Agency Spotlight: Saheli

11:00 Retreat Follow-Up
1. Refresher on new format for project workgroups
2. Briefly revisit “workplan” display for continued and new projects
3. Small group project planning (use worksheets)
4. Record key group info (lead, contact, first meeting) on the display document at front

12:00 Announcements & Adjourn

Click here to view directory
or
Right click here and Save Target As to download the pdf for print.

Reconnect with ISNA purpose statement

How does ISNA…

Coordinate efforts

• Limited resources require coordination not duplication
• Awareness of services
• Need to talk to each other to serve effectively
• Coordination gives you good information

Increase Awareness

• Multiple information streams
• Put issues in front of people – raise awareness
• Outreach to immigrants
• Consistent messaging
• Positive framing
• Engage more people in the conversation

Inform Policy

• Information to regional decision-makers, elected officials, funders and the Feds
• Identify gaps
• Dearth of data, data we do have is siloed – ISNA fills in the gaps
• We see real effects of policy on real people
• Together we have a strong voice
• Untapped power
• Educate
• Access to the expertise of ISNA members

Consider your participation

What do you gain from being here?

• Effective feedback to government
• Learn about each other’s organizations, develop more awareness of the system
• Tap into expertise
• Sharing information, education, services to better serve clients
• Knowledge of each agency’s services
• People know more about what we offer
• People get correct information about services
• Information, knowledge about how to better serve clients
• “Get out of my silo” and get recharged. ISNA has the ability to identify gaps and create new things.
• Draw energy and inspiration
• Deepen collaboration and partnership
• Different perspectives
• Sense of fulfillment, education and “multiplier effect”
• Personal work on immigration policy has no forum – ISNA fills that need at local level and provides focus, structure and accountability for this work
• Knowledge to share with library users, hope to effect change and validation, as sometimes this work is “an uphill battle”
• Motivation and reassurance
• Opportunity to learn, identify partners, expand scope of my work
• Inspiration. Helps me be more effective and build my skills with committee work
• Oriented me and my agency to Austin issues
• Access to expertise
• Learn about events and what other agencies do (work for non-immigrant agencies)
• Gain more support from service providers for AIRC’s model of community work
• Be connected, know what is available – not just a theoretical knowledge but potential for local policy

What can you give that helps ISNA to achieve its purpose?

• Terri (ICOS):  Commitment to working on legalization, and any collaboration to increase local funding
• Caroline (AIRC): Continue doing public awareness work
• Sthea (Goodwill):  Getting info out to immigrants, sharing resources with clients
• Bekah (E@W): Continue working on the Public Safety Training; interest in alternatives to detention – doing research; can survey our clients.
• Sandra (SafePlace): Continue public awareness work, do/help with trainings.  Can do focus groups at SafePlace.
• Angela (Caritas): Continue working on the Public Safety Training; any ad-hoc project if available.
• Linda (Foundation Communities/Community Tax Centers): Advocacy skills
• Paola (Library): Pass on info to clients and agencies, continue working on Family Safety Planning Toolkit, continue to help with translation (Engl/Span)
• Amy:  Skills as a policy analyst; planning skills; connections/network; disaster preparedness skills
• Tom:  Brainpower, love, time, staff resources, fundraising
• Pat:  Continue to connect people to policy, specifically housing and healthcare locally, broadening spectrum to include all immigrants
• Chris (American Gateways): Will step back as co-chair soon, continue w/specific projects – coordination of legal services providers group
• Carmen (Catholic Charities): Deliver information, doing community presentations (new job role)
• Celia: Attend meetings, contribute to a committee.  Spanish language abilities.
• Hermelinda (Police Monitor):  Work on public safety/enforcement issues
• Irene (Travis Co., Family Support Services):  Connect to the 7 Travis County Community Centers
• Sarah (Goodwill): Want to join a committee doing direct immigrant awareness work, regarding safety and rights
• Richard (ACC): Literacy, job training, access to higher education.  Can all be free – immigrants don’t always know.  Extending outreach.
• Meg (Literacy Coalition): Time (and staff time) on selected projects, any expertise for projects, fundraising, serving as fiscal agent
• Jacque (USCIS): Conduit up to federal government and information pathway back out to the local community.  Also identifying grant opportunities.

Summary of proposed new format for workgroups

Proposed new format for workgroups:

• Shift from standing committees to project-based workgroups
• The only standing committee will be the Steering Committee – its responsibilities and authority remain the same 
• Other workgroups should form on an organic basis around projects that members want to do, last as long as the project lasts, and then have the option to dissolve once the project is complete so that human resources can be redirected into new work  
• New project workgroups will arise in one of two ways:  (1) Respond to a real-time community need, and (2) generated during regular retreats.  ISNA meetings and the listserv will be used to promote opportunities for participation.

Provisions for shifting to project-based task groups:

• The ISNA mission, vision and values are the unifying principles that connect all of our work.  Any project task group’s work should still relate to or promote some component of the ISNA mission.
• All project task groups should have a designated lead, who acts as the “point person.”  The lead is not responsible for doing all the work, but the lead will act to: coordinate workgroup meetings; keep the work moving forward; let the Steering Committee know if there are any problems or barriers; and report out at ISNA general meetings.
• The Steering Committee will help project groups trouble-shoot any barriers.  The Planning Support will help provide technical assistance to the project leads with organizational tools and best practices.

Work Plan

Continued from 2009

New for 2010

Parking Lot

• Coordination/discussion about individual efforts
• Positive framing
• Legal fellow: services available re: Immigrant Public Safety Training

Closing Comments

• Time ran short to complete the last exercise (small group task planning for projects)
• Collective decision was to table the small group exercise for the next ISNA meeting in April

10:30 Welcome and Steering Committee Updates
• Retreat reminder (Maile)
Date: March 10, 2009
Time: 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Location: Goodwill
Purpose: Plan projects for 2010!
• Census 2010 Complete Count efforts (Carmen & Tom)
• City of Austin Comprehensive Plan efforts (Amy)

10:45 Guest Speakers
Michael Pitts
Detention & Removal Operations Field Office Director
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement San Antonio Field Office

Wiley Blakeway and Chris Saucedo
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services

11:20 Announcements & Adjourn

10:30 – 10:40 Welcome and Introductions

10:40 – 10:45 Committee Updates
• Steering Committee
o Announce Retreat date
• Service Coordination Committee
• Public Awareness Committee
• Enforcement Response Committee

10:45 – 11:00 Agency Spotlight: Office of the Police Monitor
Carmen Scott, Complaint Specialist

11:00 – 11:20 Beginning to Plan for 2010 Retreat
• Inventory past year’s work and status of current work
• Capture ideas for topics or goals for this year’s retreat

11:20 Announcements & Adjourn

10:30 – 10:40 Welcome and Introductions

10:40 – 10:50 Committee Updates
• Steering Committee
• Service Coordination Committee
• Public Awareness Committee
• Enforcement Response Committee (see below)

10:50 – 11:10 Debrief from last month’s Law Enforcement Discussion
• Share notes; general reactions/impressions?
• Possible next steps from opportunities discussed by guests (Angela-Jo Touza-Medina)

11:10 Announcements

11:15 Adjourn

Committee Meetings from 11:15am to 12:00pm.