Immigrant Settlement and Adaptation Program (ISAP)
The Immigrant Settlement and Adaptation Program (ISAP) is a federally funded initiative through Citizenship and Immigration Canada that strives to assist immigrants with their settlement and integration process. ISAP provides direct services to newcomers to Canada including information and referral services, orientation, translation and interpretation, solution-based counseling, and assistance with job search. ISAP services focus on the newcomer’s immediate settlement needs such as health care, transportation, housing, education and employment. Services are delivered on a one-to-one basis or through the provision of group services at both our Downtown and East End sites and at off site locations throughout Windsor and Essex County. ISAP workers are also able to deliver tailor-made group sessions upon request. Permanent residents of Canada; convention refugees; persons in Canada applying to become permanent residents and who have been informed, through a letter from Citizenship and Immigration Canada, of the initial approval of the application subject to an admissibility assessment; temporary residents working in Canada, with a work permit under the Live-in Caregiver program; are eligible for the ISAP Program.
ISAP also works and establishes partnerships with area human service organizations and minority language communities towards building organizational and community capacity.
Services provided by ISAP include:
Needs assessment: After determining eligibility for services, newcomer’s needs, resources, strengths and barriers are assessed. Newcomers are assisted with goal-setting, establishing priorities and developing realistic plans to facilitate their settlement and integration process
Referrals to community services: Newcomers are referred to resources in the community related to their immediate settlement needs, such as job search services, health care, legal services, housing, family reunification, education and recreation.
Information & orientation: Guidance and information are provided to newcomers regarding the skills to meet everyday needs including housing, banking, shopping, access to social and health services, and their rights and obligations in Canada.
Interpretation and translation: This service provides oral interpretation or written translation related to essential or immediate settlement needs for newcomers with limited capacity to speak English or French and is provided with the assistance of volunteer language aids.
Solution-focused counseling: ISAP workers assist newcomers in problem-solving by helping them to define their problems and identifying the resources that are available to them.
Employment-related services: ISAP provides assistance that facilitates the newcomer’s job search including a variety of activities, such as resume writing, assisting with job search and assisting the newcomer get in touch with other employment related programs and services.
Service bridging: ISAP works with the community at large to facilitate newcomer’s access information and services by working directly with the service providers. ISAP is also actively involved in assisting minority language communities in achieving societal engagement.
