Language

Boston Center for Refugee Health and Human Rights

Resources for Patients

Become a Patient

There are several important steps to becoming a new client of Boston Medical Center (BMC)’s Immigrant and Refugee Health Center and getting mental health and wellness support from the Boston Center for Refugee Health and Human Rights (BCRHHR):

  • Register as a BMC patient. For patients who are new to BMC, please call the patient registration team at 617.414.6060 to register as a BMC patient.
  • Apply for health insurance coverage. Everyone in Massachusetts can access some health insurance coverage, regardless of immigration status. Patients who do not have health insurance coverage should call BMC Patient Financial Counseling at 617.414.5155 to make an appointment to apply for health insurance.
  • Schedule an appointment. If you or someone you know are an immigrant or refugee looking to get access to the health, mental health, or social services offered by BMC’s Immigrant and Refugee Health Center, please:

BMC Materials and Information from Trusted Partners

Resource Guide

The BMC Immigration and Refugee Health Center (IRHC)’s Resource Guide provides information about a range of resources available to immigrant, refugee, and asylum-seeking patients in the greater Boston area, including resources related to food, housing, phone/internet, and education for children.

Download the IRHC Resource Guide (PDF)

Family Preparedness Plan

It is good practice for every family to make a family preparedness plan to help reduce the stress of the unexpected. This guide from the Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC) will help everyone, regardless of immigration status, create a Family Preparedness Plan. However, because of the additional challenges faced by immigrant and mixed-status families, the guide also contains additional advice for immigrants.

Make a Family Preparedness Plan (English)

Make a Family Preparedness Plan (Español)

Legal and Advocacy Resources

In the greater Boston area:

  • Catholic Charities of Boston: Upon arriving in Boston, individuals face daunting linguistic, economic, cultural, and legal challenges. Catholic Charities of Boston helps arrivals integrate into society by offering support and guidance as they adjust to their new surroundings and become active participants in their communities.
  • De Novo Center for Justice and Healing: Through the efforts of over 100 volunteer attorneys, clinical social workers, psychologists, paralegals, interpreters, student interns and other professionals, De Novo provides legal help in the areas of housing and homelessness prevention, family law/domestic violence, immigration law, and disability benefits, as well as a full range of mental health services and case management to help clients cope with the emotional impact of trauma.
  • Greater Boston Legal Services (GBLS): GBLS provides free legal assistance and representation on civil (non-criminal) matters to hundreds of residents in the city of Boston and 31 surrounding cities and towns.
  • Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition (MIRA): MIRA organizes, empowers, and mobilizes immigrant communities and their allies to advocate for themselves and amplifies and supports their voices.
  • Political Asylum/Immigration Representation (PAIR) Project: Formed in 1989, the PAIR Project provides free legal services to asylum seekers and promotes the rights of detained immigrants.

National and international legal organizations:

Other legal information and news on immigration-related matters:

National and international human rights advocacy organizations:

Refugeography: A Map of Resources in the Boston Area

This map, created by Dr. David Scales, Dr. Robert Marlin, and medical students Travis Forney, Lucinda Lai, and Muna Sheikh, shows different resources available to immigrants and refugees in the Boston metropolitan area, including language classes, health clinics, employment training, and legal services.

Click the Map Icon icon to expand the map legend.