Toolkit Supports Refugee Mental Health
By Ellen Robinson and Riggin Waugh
Refugees who seek safety and shelter in the United States
can face various health challenges before, during, and
after they settle into their new communities.
To help community organizations engage in activities to promote
health and prevent diseases among refugee populations, SAMHSA's
Center for Mental Health Services' Refugee Mental Health Program
recently prepared the Refugee
Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Toolkit in collaboration
with the Office of Refugee Resettlement and the Office of Global
Health Affairs within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
In their home countries, these individuals may have
been exposed to infectious and parasitic diseases as
well as physical and psychological trauma. And as they
make their journey to their new home, they are often
malnourished and exposed to rapidly spreading diseases,
especially while they are housed at crowded refugee settlements
or camps. After migration and resettlement, they confront
chronic diseases that affect the general population in
the United States. These diseases include obesity, high
blood pressure, heart disease, and diabetes. Refugees
also may be at higher risk for developing mental health
problems.
Introduced as a key part of the Points of Wellness—Partnering
for Refugee Health and Well-Being initiative, the
free toolkit is designed for community organizations
such as churches or other faith-based groups, mutual
assistance associations, and nonprofit groups concerned
with refugee health. The toolkit offers basic guidance
and reference materials to help organizations encourage
the physical, mental, and social well-being of refugees,
which includes preventing disease, improving quality
of life, and reducing health disparities.
"We hope any group of individuals concerned about
refugee health will use these materials to improve the
long-term health of refugees in the United States and
help them feel strong, active, wise, and worthwhile,"
said CAPT John J. Tuskan, Jr., Director of SAMHSA's Refugee
Mental Health Program.
The toolkit contains the following components:
-
Manual: Includes guidance on how
to plan and conduct culturally appropriate activities
that build individual awareness of health issues.
-
Training guide and PowerPoint slides:
Provide step-by-step guidance as organizations begin
to share the information in the manual with others.
-
Article: Provides an orientation
to the field and activities of health promotion and
disease prevention.
-
Video: Provides an introduction to promoting
health among refugees.
-
CD-ROM: Contains an electronic
version of the entire manual and PowerPoint slides.
The main component of the toolkit is the manual, which
offers ways for groups to develop and implement health
promotion activities in refugee communities, addresses
the importance of cultural sensitivity in health promotion
work, and provides helpful resources. Used as either
a reference tool or a program development guide, the
manual helps meet the needs of individual organizations.
The manual shows users how to assess the health needs
of their communities, how to identify existing resources,
and how to use partnerships to promote community health
successfully.
"The toolkit gives communities the capacity to
plan, implement, and evaluate whatever works for them,"
said CAPT Tuskan. "Having communities take ownership
of the health status of their residents is the best way
to ensure long-term health improvement for everyone."
Because every community has varying needs, the toolkit
describes a range of programs that can be used to promote
health and prevent disease, including support groups
and health fairs.
Limited print copies of the toolkit are available from
SAMHSA's National Mental Health Information Center, P.O.
Box 42557, Washington, DC 20015. Telephone: 1 (800) 789-2647
or 1 (866) 889-2647 (TTY). 
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