Help Center for Foreigners

When applying for help in CPC, you should go first to the headquarters of Ocalenie Foundation. During your initial consultation we will register your personal data in our system, examine your needs, inform about available assistance offers and if the situation requires it we will refer you for further specialist support – legal, psychological or with a career counselor.

Following consultations can be held either stationary at our office or remotely by phone, depending on the situation, one’s needs and preferences as well the schedule and availability of our employees. They can  also take the form of accompanying you during a visit to the government office, medic or other facility, especially when what may prevent you from solving your problem yourself may be the language barrier, ignorance of the norms and rules of functioning in a given institution or a simple need for support. Nevertheless, the first consultation and registration is possible only in stationary form, during a visit to the Foundation’s headquarters.

In CPC you can get help from people who speak the following languages: Polish, English, Ukrainian, Russian, Arabic, Georgian, Tajic, Vietnamese, French and Persian. Thanks to their personal migration experience they are an important part of support in the process of finding yourself in Polish reality and dealing with daily matters. The range of the assistance provided includes, i.a., assistance in dealing with official matters and contacts with Polish institutions, support in completing applications/official forms, assistance in enrolling children to schools and kindergartens or contacting health care facilities.

CPC can offer you psychological and psychotherapeutic assistance after the first consultation at our headquarters.  We provide support for adults, children and adolescents in the following languages: Polish, English, Arabic, Ukrainian, Russian, French, Farsi, Dari and Tajik. We are able to organize consultations in other languages with the support of a trained translator. Any foreigner residing in Poland may sign up for initial psychological consultations.

As part of psychological assistance, we also set up therapeutic and support groups. We select topics discussed in the group together with all participants based on the analysis of their needs. Group work makes it possible to reduce the feeling of loneliness and isolation in clients, allows for the exchange of experiences and supports people in building social networks.

Since 2020, we have been continuously implementing the project of the Help Center for Victims of Torture, financed by the United Nations Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture. As part of the grant, we provide direct assistance to people who have experienced torture.

Consultations with a career counselor are conducted in Polish, English, Ukrainian, Belarussian, Russian and in any other languages with the help of the translator. You can ask for the support of an advisor after the first consultation at our headquarters. Consultations with career counselors can be held either stationary or online.

Depending on the situation, during next consultations:

you will be introduced to the information about the Polish labor market, its legal aspects and cultural norms – the knowledge necessary for safely employment seeking;
you will learn about professional development / change of profession, educational opportunities
you will learn how to create effective application documents (CV, cover letter);
you will receive practical advice to prepare for the next stages of the recruitment process;
you will receive the support of a career counselor at the stage of looking for a job, taking up employment, during application failure, when you lose your job or in a difficult situation at the place of employment.

Our Career Counseling team also sets up meetings with employers, conducts training  sessions for people participating in the Foundation’s projects/programmes, and regularly informs clients about projects and events dedicated for foreigners on the local labor market.

The Ocalenie Foundation’s Legal Team operates as a part of the Help Center for Foreigners (CPC)  and provides legal assistance to the Foundation’s clients. You can ask for legal support after the first consultation at the headquarters of the Ocalenie Foundation. We provide legal advice in the field of:

legalization of stay and work in Poland,
refugee proceedings and consular matters,
when applying for social benefits, as well as in cases in the field of civil law, labor law and criminal law.

The lawyers of the Ocalenie Foundation are able to advise, prepare letters, obtain legal information and conduct clients’ cases, but also in justified cases represent them before Polish administrative authorities and courts.