Thank you for contributing your time and energy to CASP’s mission!
Below please find an overview of CASP, the people we serve, and our expectations for our volunteers.
After reading this page and before beginning your volunteering, please agree to abide by the guidelines described on this page by entering your name at the bottom of the page and pressing the “I AGREE” button.
What CASP Provides
CASP’s mission is to cultivate a supportive community for those seeking asylum in the U.S., while providing for basic needs and accompanying asylum seekers on their journey towards building a life in this country.
As part of this process, CASP:
Finds host homes or housing for those seeking asylum
Assists them in navigating the asylum process
Helps them achieve independence and self-sufficiency
Supports clients with food, shelter, and other daily needs as they resettle in our community
The Asylum Process
Asylum seekers in the United States are:
Displaced people fleeing violence and persecution in their home countries.
Already physically present in the U.S. or at a port of entry; refugees are screened and approved prior to entry into the U.S. and resettled by the U.S. State Department.
What happens to asylum seekers after they arrive in the United States?
They must apply for asylum within one year of their date of arrival into the U.S.
If they are applying affirmatively (with USCIS), their final interview is with a USCIS officer. If they are in defensive proceedings, their case will be heard before an immigration judge. To learn more about affirmative vs. defensive, please click here.
If in defensive proceedings, they undergo an interview to preliminarily assess their fear of return to their home country– depending on their specific circumstances, this is either a Credible Fear Interview (CFI) or Reasonable Fear Interview (RFI).
Some are detained, and some are released on an Alternative to Detention (ATD) program.
If detained, they may be released if they have relatives or friends somewhere in the U.S. able and willing to financially and emotionally support them (or an organization such as CASP).
The asylum process can take years. Most of CASP’s clients who have won asylum had been in proceedings for approximately 5 years, but this timeline can vary.
If granted asylum, they become asylees and are eligible for the same services and benefits as refugees.
If denied, they can appeal to the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA). If denied at the BIA, they may then appeal to their respective circuit court.
Understanding Common Themes with Asylum Seekers
In everyday contact with clients, we sometimes encounter situations that necessitate understanding of clients and following clear standards of behavior and protocol. Please read the following descriptions of some common themes and policies for volunteers. Following that is a section on publicity, confidentiality, and background checks, and a contract detailing CASP policies on volunteer conduct, driving, and sexual harassment and abuse.
Asylum seekers are not here by choice, but by necessity. Most people would not choose to leave their homes and families behind to come to a foreign country with no support system. This can be more difficult for some than others and the period of adjustment varies for each person.
Additionally, many asylum seekers are left with mental, emotional, and/or physical trauma from their experiences in their home country and/or on their journey to the U.S. We ask that you do not ask clients about what caused them to leave or what they experienced in their home country. If they want to share, they may do so, but please keep in mind that they encounter multiple people a day and being asked to repeatedly relive something they would sooner forget is not enjoyable and is often traumatic.
Language barriers and differences in culture, customs, and bureaucracy are obstacles that most asylum seekers encounter upon arriving to the U.S., and volunteers may also encounter these by extension in their work with newly arrived immigrants. CASP’s end goal is to support self-sufficiency and independence for asylum seekers by helping them overcome these obstacles via ESL classes, community orientation, accompaniment, and orientation to language resources that support them in doing things for or advocating for themselves.
Please reach out to CASP staff at volunteering@caspvt.org if you have questions or need support in navigating this.
Although Vermont is generally a welcoming place, it is wise to be cautious and to report any unusual incidents to a CASP representative for follow-up. This could include an issue with another client, an incident at a local agency, or an encounter with I.C.E.
It is CASP policy that the CASP Executive Director (click here for email) or a designated representative must approve, prior to release, any publicity concerning CASP or the asylum seekers in our program. Confidential information, such as medical, financial, and legal status, should not be shared with anyone outside CASP staff unless authorized by the client.
Volunteer Policies
This section provides guidelines for your volunteer work with CASP. If you have questions, feel free to contact the CASP Volunteer Coordinator at volunteering@caspvt.org.
In order to work one-on-one with our clients, we ask that you please:
- Meet directly with a CASP staff member;
- Complete a national criminal background check
Background checks for CASP are conducted by a commercial enterprise, not a government agency. If you feel that the report might unjustly disqualify you, please get in touch to discuss it.
Again, these requirements only apply to volunteers who would like to work one-on-one with clients.
Confidential information, such as medical, financial, and legal status shall not be shared with anyone unless authorized by the client or in an emergency. We ask that you additionally check with CASP staff before releasing legal information to any entity.
No photographs, names, or personal information about our clients shall be shared on public media without their explicit permission. We ask that any press releases, articles, or media posts about CASP’s work or immigration legal processes are reviewed by the CASP executive director prior to publication. Information is changing constantly, and it is important that published information be up-to-date and accurate.
While volunteering, you may incur expenses (for example, driving expenses). We understand that some situations are unexpected, but if you are able to anticipate needing reimbursement, please try to request this in advance from the Executive Director at director@caspvt.org.
The Community Asylum Seekers Project, Inc. (CASP) is committed to maintaining an environment that respects the rights of asylum seekers and one another. Sexual abuse or other unwelcome conduct is strictly prohibited, and we reject any such behavior. Please click the link to review CASP Sexual Misconduct Policy.
WE WELCOME YOU TO CASP!
Thank you for taking the time to read through the above information. If you agree with the above-stated policies and the terms outlined in the volunteer contract, please sign below and select “I Agree”, and please complete our Volunteer Sign-Up Form .
For unanswered questions, please write to the CASP Volunteer Coordinator at volunteering@caspvt.org.
Policy Sign-off
To serve as a CASP volunteer, you need to sign the following agreement by entering your name and pressing the “I AGREE” button below.
I have read and understood the volunteer policies outlined above and am willing to undertake volunteer assignments in compliance with those policies. This means that I will not work alone with asylum seekers without meeting CASP’s safety requirements for one-on-one volunteering, and I will follow CASP’s policies on publicity, confidentiality, and sexual misconduct and abuse prevention.