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Resource Finder
Resources for California Newcomers
There are numerous resources out there, but finding the ones you need, when you need them can be a daunting task. We've curated a list of the most helpful links and resources for California newcomers, and the caseworkers and community members who support them.
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Use the filters below to find the best fit resources.
This resource from Switchboard provides refugee-serving and immigrant-serving professionals with practical strategies for introducing and using artificial intelligence (AI) tools in service delivery. It covers topics such as informed consent, privacy, data protection, appropriate uses of AI, responding to client concerns, and building trust through transparent communication. The guide includes sample scripts, common client questions, and a real-world case scenario to help providers confidently discuss AI-assisted translation, information gathering, and other services while ensuring clients understand their options and maintain control over their personal information.
Source:
Switchboard
Best for:
Service Providers, Government Staff
This YouTube playlist features a range of safety videos designed to help refugees and other newcomers better understand life in the United States. Created by Settle In and partners, the videos cover Misinformation on Social Media and Swimming Safety, and they are available in English, Dari, Pashto, Russian, Ukrainian, Spanish, Haitian Creole. With culturally and linguistically accessible content, this resource supports both service providers and community members in building knowledge and confidence around navigating safety in the U.S.
Source:
Settle In
Best for:
Clients & Community
This YouTube playlist features a range of cultural adjustment videos designed to help refugees and other newcomers better understand life in the United States. Created by Settle In and partners, the videos cover Finding Your Place, Resilience and Renewal, and they are available in Ukrainian. With culturally and linguistically accessible content, this resource supports both service providers and community members in building knowledge and confidence around navigating cultural adjustment in the U.S.
Source:
Settle In
Best for:
Clients & Community
This YouTube playlist features a range of travel education videos designed to help refugees and other newcomers better understand life in the United States. Created by Settle In and partners, the videos cover Public Transportation and Child Car Seat Safety, and they are available in multiple languages including Dari, Spanish, Ukrainian, Arabic, Swahili, and more. With culturally and linguistically accessible content, this resource supports both service providers and community members in building knowledge and confidence around navigating travel in the U.S.
Source:
Settle In
Best for:
Clients & Community
This YouTube playlist features a range of money management education videos designed to help refugees and other newcomers better understand life in the United States. Created by Settle In and partners, the videos cover Taxes, and they are available in multiple languages including Dari, Spanish, Ukrainian, Arabic, Swahili, and more. With culturally and linguistically accessible content, this resource supports both service providers and community members in building knowledge and confidence around navigating money management in the U.S.
Source:
Settle In
Best for:
Clients & Community
This YouTube playlist features a range of housing education videos designed to help refugees and other newcomers better understand life in the United States. Created by Settle In and partners, the videos cover topics such as Housing in the United States, Navigating Housing in the U.S., and Home Safety, and they are available in multiple languages including Dari, Spanish, Ukrainian, Arabic, Swahili, and more. With culturally and linguistically accessible content, this resource supports both service providers and community members in building knowledge and confidence around navigating housing in the U.S.
Source:
Settle In
Best for:
Clients & Community
This YouTube playlist features a range of education videos designed to help refugees and other newcomers better understand life in the United States. Created by Settle In and partners, the videos cover topics such as How to create an email, Preparing for the School Year in U.S., and Supporting Your Child in School, and they are available in multiple languages including Dari, Spanish, Ukrainian, Arabic, Swahili, and more. With culturally and linguistically accessible content, this resource supports both service providers and community members in building knowledge and confidence around navigating education in the U.S.
Source:
Settle In
Best for:
Clients & Community
This YouTube playlist features a range of employment education videos designed to help refugees and other newcomers better understand life in the United States. Created by Settle In and partners, the videos cover topics such as Understanding Workplace Rights, Avoiding Employment Scams, and Employment Tips, and they are available in multiple languages including Dari, Spanish, Ukrainian, Arabic, Swahili, and more. With culturally and linguistically accessible content, this resource supports both service providers and community members in building knowledge and confidence around navigating employment in the U.S.
Source:
Settle In
Best for:
Clients & Community
This YouTube playlist features a wide range of health education videos designed to help refugees and other newcomers understand healthcare in the United States. Created by Settle In and partners, the videos cover topics such as healthcare services, wellness exams, mental health, vaccinations, and stress management, and are available in multiple languages including Dari, Spanish, Ukrainian, Arabic, Swahili, and more. With culturally and linguistically accessible content, this resource supports both service providers and community members in building knowledge and confidence around navigating health and wellness in the U.S.
Source:
Settle In
Best for:
Clients & Community, Everyone, Service Providers, Government Staff
This Switchboard training resource offers a foundational overview of the U.S. healthcare system for direct service providers working with refugees and other newcomers. It covers key topics such as health coverage options (including Medicaid and Refugee Medical Assistance), available health services like primary care and domestic medical screenings, and common barriers newcomers face. Designed for case workers and community partners, the training equips participants with essential knowledge to better support clients in accessing appropriate care and navigating a complex healthcare landscape.
Source:
Switchboard
Best for:
Service Providers, Government Staff
This resource from Switchboard provides actionable strategies for service providers supporting newcomers in navigating the complex U.S. healthcare billing system. It outlines how to prevent unnecessary charges by ensuring accurate insurance information, understanding coverage options, and preparing clients for costs before care. The guide also walks through key steps after receiving a bill, including reviewing for errors, communicating with insurance providers, and applying for financial assistance or payment plans. Emphasizing that medical bills should never be ignored, it equips providers with tools to help clients avoid financial harm and confidently manage healthcare expenses.
Source:
Switchboard
Best for:
Service Providers, Government Staff
Settle In is a free digital resource designed to support refugees and other newcomers as they adjust to life in the United States. The platform provides accessible, culturally relevant information on topics such as daily living, employment, community resources, and cultural adjustment, along with live events and a multilingual resource library. Developed in partnership with government and nonprofit organizations, Settle In equips users with accurate, up-to-date guidance to help them build confidence and achieve self-sufficiency in their new communities.
Source:
Settle In
Best for:
Clients & Community, Everyone
This Switchboard training presentation introduces community resource mapping as a strategic approach to identifying and connecting local assets that support refugee and newcomer communities. It outlines the key benefits of mapping—such as improving service coordination, strengthening partnerships, engaging community members, and expanding access to accurate, up-to-date resources—while also walking through the six stages of implementation. Designed for service providers, the resource includes real-world examples and actionable tools to help organizations build more efficient, collaborative, and responsive support systems for clients.
Source:
Switchboard
Best for:
Service Providers, Government Staff
After months, if not years, spent in stressful and often dire situations, newcomers finally have a place to call home again. Successful integration depends on the efforts and resiliency of newcomers themselves, but much of it can also be shaped by the active engagement of community members and the culture of welcome we all create. Schools are especially helpful places to begin this process, particularly because a large percentage of forcibly displaced people are under the age of 18.
This will explore strategies that districts, schools, and educators can take to ensure newcomer youth and their families feel empowered in their integration processes.
Source:
Switchboard
Best for:
Service Providers, Government Staff
Many people have questions about newcomers and want clarity about who is arriving and how local services support them. These questions usually stem from uncertainty or limited information. When people have few opportunities to interact with newcomers or understand how resettlement works, conversations can feel tense or confusing.
When you communicate clearly, you reduce confusion. When you listen with intention, you lower defensiveness. When you name shared values, you create space for real connection. This offers practical skills you can use to effectively navigate community conversations. It focuses on preparing before conversations begin, using de-escalation and listening skills when emotions rise, and using storytelling to connect people to newcomers in a more human way.
Source:
Switchboard
Best for:
Service Providers, Government Staff
Tips for Getting Started
If you’re getting started in building community partnerships, this offers you practical tips for increasing your collective impact. Newcomers’ needs are complex, requiring holistic, coordinated responses that no single organization can handle alone. Yet for many providers, developing effective collaborative networks can feel challenging.
Source:
Switchboard
Best for:
Service Providers, Government Staff
This is a step-by-step how-to guide for newcomers in the United States who may be unfamiliar with the homebuying process. It also introduces key concepts, explains their significance, and provides interactive learning opportunities.
Source:
Refugee Housing Solutions
Best for:
Government Staff, Service Providers
Real-time tools for engaging with distressed clients, focusing on Psychological First Aid (PFA) and de-escalation, to help direct service staff respond effectively and compassionately.
Source:
Support Guide
Best for:
Government Staff, Service Providers
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