Family Health Services
Supporting vulnerable refugees and immigrants with individualized and culturally responsive support to enhance their sense of stability and belonging in Pittsburgh. Emphasis on advocacy for and connection to culturally and linguistically appropriate care.
Smart Start
Intensive Case Management Support
Center for Afghan Resilience
Smart Start
This program was developed to serve at the intersection of refugee resettlement and birth work to provide culturally-tailored intensive case management support for pregnant immigrants and refugees throughout their pregnancy and up to 100 days postpartum.
We’ve served a total of 347 pregnant mom and baby pairs that together speak a total of 45 languages including nine twin births and one triplet birth.
Moving to a new country comes with challenges. In the U.S., birth culture can look and be very different from our families’ home cultures and birthing practices. It can be isolating, overwhelming, and/or confusing being pregnant in a foreign land. Compounding the difference are language barriers and separation from one’s culture and family can further contribute to feelings of isolation during pregnancy and postpartum.
Smart Start's primary services provided are:
- Pregnancy and newborn care coordination, postpartum support, pregnancy and/or infant loss support as needed
- Facilitating connections to community resources and support items needs for mom and baby
- Working with the birthing person to create a comprehensive labor plan including planning for a doula, childcare, documentation preparation, and discharge assistance
- Culturally-tailored perinatal education regardless of language capacity
Who We Serve
Get Involved
Become a Smart Start Volunteer
Please register for one of our virtual or in-person information sessions.
Refer a pregnant refugee or immigrant
Please complete this referral form with the pregnant person’s name, expected due date, language, address, and contact information. Please include any additional details that would assist our team in triaging and responding to the referral.
Intensive Case Management
Providing individualized case management to help especially vulnerable immigrants and refugees increase their individual or household stability.
While most refugees achieve significant progress towards economic self-sufficiency through employment programs, some new arrivals are highly vulnerable individuals who require extra support for successful integration. For these individuals, we offer comprehensive case management to help them overcome challenges as they adapt to life in the United States and gain the skills to address difficulties independently.
Referral Information
Referrals accepted for ORR-eligible immigrants and refugees. Referrals can be submitted via this form.
Center for Afghan Resilience
Hello Neighbor’s partnership Bethany Christian Services offers holistic, strengths-based, and trauma-informed services for Afghan Survivors Impacted by Combat.
“Omid e Mahajir” (The Hope of a Refugee) Center for Afghan Resilience is a three-year, dual-agency program in partnership with Bethany Christian Services through the Office of Refugee Resettlement for Services for Afghan Survivors Impacted by Combat. Through enrollment in this program, families have access to case management, peer support, physical healthcare coordination, mentorship, community referrals, pregnancy support, and behavioral health counseling.
Referral Information
Referrals are currently closed for this program.