New case manager assists Hmong families

Catholic Social Services provides a variety of programs for families in the Green Bay Diocese. For those programs to be effective, the community needs to be aware of them.

That's where Nicole Sengkhamme, case manager and legal advocate, comes in.

In a position she started July 31, Sengkhamme serves as a counselor, translator, and resource for Hmong families in the diocese. She deals mainly with domestic violence - both preventing it , and helping to heal and to change behavior, so it doesn't happen again, in cases where it has already occurred.

"My job is to make known to the community that this service is out there," says Sengkhamme. There is a lot of misunderstanding within the community about what we do. Some people are afraid that we're trying to break up families by putting ideas into a woman's head. That's not the case. In most circumstances, we try to keep families together, to point them toward resources that can help them solve their problems."

Sengkhamme is accustomed to playing the role of counselor and mediator. She is a mother of two children, ages 6 and 8. She also has a history of involvement with the Hmong community in Green Bay. Before she was hired by the diocese, she worked with International Translators and with the FAST program in the Green Bay Public Schools.

FAST (Families and Schools Together) is an 8-week program, held one evening a week, that builds partnerships between parents and schools. It emphasizes literacy and promotes discussion of family issues, including domestic violence and the importance of parental involvement in education.

In her new position, Sengkhamme will continue working with FAST, serving as its coordinator.

In addition to home visits and assisting families who come into her office, Sengkhamme is enthusiastic about the legal aspect of her new position.

She said it's important for families to understand that the laws in America are different from laws in their native Southeast Asia.

"I try to make families understand that court is a last resort, that working through their problems before abuse or legal action is involved will save them money and keep families together," she said.

She's also found that "legal words and concepts can be intimidating, especially when they are in a new and unfamiliar system. If I can point out a long, complicated word and say, 'This is all that means,' I could clear up a lot of anxiety."

Sengkhamme said the ultimate achievement in her work would be to make her position no longer necessary.

"I like what I'm doing - not all of the things I see and hear about, of course, but the fact that I can help families or point them toward others who can help them. Even if that person is Caucasian, I can serve as a translator. The greatest accomplishment, for me, would be to educate families enough that they don't need me anymore."