Refugee Mental Health Resource Network: An APA Interdivisional Project

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Elizabeth Carll, PhD
Elizabeth Carll, PhD

Migration due to wars, conflict, and persecution worldwide continues to unfold, with the number of people having fled internationally or displaced within their country reaching unprecedented levels according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).  In response to this humanitarian crisis, an APA interdivisional initiative was developed to create a database of volunteer psychologists and mental health specialists as there did not appear to be a cadre of trained psychologists for services to the overwhelming numbers in need.

Training webinars have been developed for the Refugee Mental Health Resource Network (RMHRN) volunteers and others, as training availability for this population is limited and often not included in university training programs.  These webinars are now available on demand as Home Study and APA CE is available for those interested in this option. The following 17 webinars are available on demand, with additional ones continuing to be posted. For volunteers of the RMHRN and collaborating Divisions, there is a 40 percent discount on APA CE and the webinars are free.

*Working with Refugees, Immigrants, and IDPs: Telehealth, Use of Interpreters, and Cultural Responsiveness

*Coping with the Disappearance of Family Members during Conflict and War: Missing and Enforced Disappearance Status

*Asylum and Cancelation of Removal Evaluations: Focus on Practical Skills in Providing Testimony in Immigration Court

*Impact and Integration: Psychology’s Role in Refugee and Asylum Seeker Cases, and Policy Development

*Intervening with Displaced Children and Families: Refugees, Immigrants and IDP’s

*Mindfulness and Meditation Techniques for Vulnerable Populations and Caregivers

*Understanding Differences Between Clinical Trauma Evaluations and Asylum Evaluations for Refugee and Immigration Requests

*Vicarious Traumatization, Stress, and Psychological Resilience: Working with Refugee, Immigrant, and Internally Displaced Populations

*Working with Interpreters with Refugee Populations in Healthcare Settings and for Asylum Evaluations

*Screening and Intervening with Refugees: Understanding Trauma and the Mental Health Needs

*What Happens When Someone is Deported? The Psychosocial Aftermath Experiences by those Deported

*Documenting, Report Writing and Expert Testimony in Asylum Cases: How to Effectively Integrate Information

*An Attorney’s Perspective: Best Practices for Collaborating with Attorneys in Support of Immigrant Clients; Writing Effective Medical Affidavits; Testifying in Court; and Understanding Asylum Law

*Asylum Evaluations Continued: A More In-Depth Look at Evaluating Special Populations

*Working with Interpreters with Refugee Populations in Healthcare Settings and for Asylum Evaluations

*Conducting Asylum Evaluations

*Screening and Intervening with Refugees: Understanding Trauma and the Mental Health NeedsThe webinars are listed for the RMHRN under the Teaching and Training tab of the Division 56 website.