Clinical Skills, Assessment, and Ethics in Mental Health Services with Immigrants and Refugees November 15, 2024

FREE to the public. Continuing education (CE) credits are available for $25.

Immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers (IRA) commonly experience significant stress and a lack of support which render them vulnerable and subject to life-long health consequences.  This presentation will serve as an introduction to providing mental health services for the IRA population.  There will be an emphasis on understanding the IRA experience and presentation of symptoms through a cultural lens and how to improve cultural competence for those working with this population.  Common factors that underly mental health problems such as acculturative stress and immigration trauma will be addressed.  Typical obstacles to mental health access for this population such as mental health stigma, distrust of service systems, and cultural and linguistic differences, as well as ways to overcome these barriers will be presented.  There will be a focus on identifying mental health needs using practical tools and strategies to undertake screening and assessment for this population. Finally, ethical guidelines in working with this population will be addressed.