HealTorture.org | Helping Torture Survivors Heal

Time 2021-08-19 14:06:40

Web Name: HealTorture.org | Helping Torture Survivors Heal

WebSite: http://www.healtorture.org

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What does HealTorture.org offer Service Providers?How do I learn about the Healing Process?What can I learn about via Webinars or by watching Videos?What if I am a New Employee to a program serving torture survivors?What resources are available to Students researching the healing process of torture survivors?We encourage people who are serving survivors of torture to submit resources to this website.Attached please find Dear Colleague Letter (DCL) 21-16 Clarification Related to Afghan SQ/SI Parolees Eligibility for RCA/RMA. It will be posted to the DCL page of the ORR web site in the near future (https://www.acf.hhs.gov/orr/policy-guidance/dear-colleague-letter). Please distribute as appropriate to your networks as these individuals have begun arriving to their resettlement locations within the United States. Contact ORR’s Refugee Policy Unit (RefugeePolicy@acf.hhs.gov) with any questions.Attached please find FAQs and related resources for Afghan SIVs being processed Read more about Afghan SIV Information In a recent meeting of Survivors of Torture (SoT) programs, there were a range of approaches shared about returning to in-person work since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Some programs are taking a slow, tiered approach to reopening, with some staff returning to the office, while others remain remote. Others are opening offices for staff but continuing to see clients via telehealth. Some are waiting until September, after children return to school. Here are some of the considerations discussed by SoT programs and Dr. Read more about Post COVID-19 SoT Program Reopening ConsiderationsFirst, let us start by defining blended or hybrid telehealth. As the name suggests, blended or hybrid telehealth is a combination of traditional face-to-face clinical encounters blended with virtual or telehealth encounters. When possible, it is best to have an initial meeting face-to-face, then move to telehealth meetings. Studies and experience have demonstrated that while using telehealth, occasional face-to-face meetings mixed with telehealth meetings is more efficacious. Read more about Post COVID-19 Re-entry with Blended/Hybrid Telehealth (Updated 8/2/2021)While some of you have been using teletherapy for a long time, many therapists have had to switch over very quickly from in-person consultations, to online or telephone consultations. Below are tips that can be of use to you in providing teletherapy, whether you have been practicing it for a long time, or you are brand new to the process. This document is a resource for current literature, April - June, on the topic of the mental health status of and treatments for torture survivors, war trauma survivors, refugees, and asylum seekers. This also includes research in the area of social work that relates directly to the psychological well-being of these populations. The compilation below includes peer reviewed journal article citations in these areas and links to the publicly available abstracts and full text versions of these articles. It does not currently include articles on policy and advocacy. Read more about Center for Victims of Torture Literature Selection Q2 2021 Many SoT programs are contemplating re-opening or expanding in-person services in the near future and may have questions about doing that safely and ethically. At this point, there is no blanket guidance for federal grantees other than following the CDC, state, and local guidelines.  Below are some preliminary thoughts that have come from our friends at ORR that may be useful. This will also be a topic in the next ORR Virtual Town Meeting for SoT grantee organizations.Masks are still required in healthcare settings, schools, and public transportation.In general, social service providers Read more about COVID-19 Guidance on Re-Opening or Expanding In-Person ServicesAdd new comment Here is a recent special report in Emergency Medicine News, “Torture Survivors: Hidden in Plain Sight,” by Gina Shaw, which cites many of our friends from Libertas Center for Human Rights, like Dr. Lars Beattie and Dr. Rajeev Bais (both founders of Libertas), and Dr. Dinali Fernando, as well as Dr. Allen Keller (founder of Bellevue Program for Survivors of Torture). Read more about Torture Survivors: Hidden in Plain Sight The Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) has learned that there is a strong interest to support increasing provider participation in the Unaccompanied Children (UC) program. ORR is working diligently to expand our licensed bed capacity and other support resources, and we recognize that a lot of you have been fielding questions about this, or are interested in helping yourself, and we hope that the following information will be helpful to you. Below are categories and options for an organization to work with the ORR to Read more about Supporting ORR s UC Program “A Field Report on the Pilot Implementation of Problem Management Plus with Lay Providers in an Eritrean Refugee Setting in Ethiopia” - This report covers a pilot training program that was conducted with paraprofessionals working with Eritrean refugees in Ethiopia, focused on skills and delivery of the Problem Management Plus (PM+) intervention, which focuses on mental health needs in humanitarian crises, including COVID response. Authors Frezgi Gebrekristos, MA, EQUIP focal person, CVT Ethiopia-Tigray; Liyam Eloul, MA, clinical advisor; and Shannon Golden, PH.D., research associate; write about the project and lessons learned. Download the PDF here.“Development of a Tool to Assess Competencies of Problem Management Plus Facilitators Using Observed Standardised Role Plays: The EQUIP Competency Rating Scale for Problem Management Plus” Read more about New Publications in Intervention Journal This document is a resource for current literature, January through March, on the topic of the mental health status of and treatments for torture survivors, war trauma survivors, refugees, and asylum seekers. This also includes research in the area of social work that relates directly to the psychological well-being of these populations. The compilation below includes peer reviewed journal article citations in these areas and links to the publicly available abstracts and full text versions of these articles. It does not currently include articles on policy and advocacy. Read more about CVT Literature Selection Q1 2021 Our friends at the New American Neighbors video outreach project have just produced and posted a set of nine videos concerning COVID-19 vaccination hesitancy. The videos are in Amharic, Arabic, Dari, French, Nepali, Pashtu, Somali, Spanish, and Tigrinya. Videos in Burmese and Karen will be added soon.Each video addresses the facts that the COVID-19 vaccine is safe and effective, and has been scientifically tested. Read more about New American Neighbors video outreach project on COVID-19 vaccination hesitancy Using data from 245 health centers that completed the voluntary weekly Health Center COVID-19 Survey, a new CDC article reviews trends in telehealth use, including by U.S. Census region and urban/rural classification, during a 20-week period. Study results underscore the need to sustain expanded telehealth use among health centers and to continue to address barriers to telehealth adoption, particularly in the south and rural areas.For more information about survey results—including links to dashboards—visit our Health Center COVID-19 Survey page. Read more about CDC Article Highlights Trends in Health Centers’ Telehealth Use during the COVID-19 Pandemic Center for Victims of Torture: Executive Search for Director of U.S. Clinical Programs CVT-Logo-small.png On behalf of our client, the Center for Victims of Torture, CohenTaylor Executive Search Services is conducting a retained executive search for its Director of U.S. Clinical Programs.Flexible location: prefer Minnesota, GeorgiaThe Center for Victims of Torture (CVT) is seeking a new Director of U.S. Clinical Programs to manage and lead a national team of clinical leaders extending mental health services and rehabilitative care to survivors of torture and severe war-related trauma. The Center for Victims of Torture (CVT) is seeking a new Director of U.S. Clinical Programs to manage and lead a national team of clinical leaders extending mental health services and rehabilitative care to survivors of torture and severe war-related trauma.Read more Register for Switchboard s Webinar on August 16thSwitchboard is pleased to announce an upcoming webinar open to all refugee service providers, whether working at state agencies, resettlement agencies or affiliates, or other organizations. Please circulate this announcement widely among your colleagues!A Trauma-informed Understanding of Mental Health Psychosocial Support (MHPSS)Monday, August 16, 1:00-2:30PM ETRead more Switchboard blog: Resource Round-Up: Creating Safe Spaces for LGBTQ+ Clients In recognition of Pride, Switchboard has compiled this resource round-up. It includes materials designed for organizations and case managers serving LGBTQI+ clients, including how to create welcoming environments, ensure use of inclusive language, and address the unique needs of this population.Read more Virtual Roundtable: Partnering to Strengthen the Behavioral Health Infrastructure and Capacity in Communities of Color SAMHSA banner.pngVirtual Roundtable: Partnering to Strengthen the Behavioral Health Infrastructure and Capacity in Communities of ColorJoin SAMHSA's National Network to Eliminate Disparities in Behavioral Health (NNED) Virtual Roundtable on Tuesday, May 25 at 2 p.m.Read more Register for NRC-RIM Webinars: Community-Led COVID-19 Messaging that Supports Vaccine Confidence NRC-RIM_logo.pngPeople from refugee, immigrant and migrant (RIM) communities are incredibly diverse, representing many cultures, languages, regions of the world, as well as beliefs and values. Unique communities need unique approaches to COVID-19 vaccine confidence, and now there are resources to help you do just that.The National Resource Center for Refugees, Immigrants and Migrants (NRC-RIM) worked with IDEO.org, a nonprofit design studio, to build vaccination campaigns in genuine partnership with specific RIM communities. This meant working alongside community leaders to lead the creation and dissemination of their messaging campaigns.Join this webinar...Read more Register for Switchboard s Webinar on April 29thNational Origin Discrimination: Workplace Issues Civil Rights Protections for Immigrant and Refugee WorkersWhat will this webinar cover?This is an opportunity to hear directly from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the agency responsible for enforcing federal laws that prohibit employment discrimination. EEOC laws cover most employers with at least 15 employees, most labor unions, and most employment agencies. The EEOC also works to prevent discrimination before it occurs through outreach, education, and technical assistance programs.Read more COVID-19 Emergency Webinar for Community Based Organizations: VaccinesRecording of the webinar is available by clicking here.As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to worsen, health experts warn the winter months will be especially difficult. COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths are increasing at record numbers, with some healthcare systems preparing for bed and staff shortages. While safe and effective vaccines are on the horizon, communities will face numerous challenges related to logistics, distribution and overcoming vaccine hesitancy.Read more Switchboard s New Blog Series on Race and RacismTalking about Race and Racism: Switchboard has partnered with the Ethiopian Community Development Council (ECDC) for a three-part blog series on talking about race and racism in various settings. The series includes guidance on how to prepare yourself for these conversations, tips for participating in introductory conversations, and tips for conversations with refugee youth.Read more Switchboard: New Information Guide on Preventing Occupational HazardsPreventing Occupational Hazards by Promoting Organizational Resilience: Refugee service providers are likely to experience occupational hazards, such as burnout, secondary traumatic stress, and compassion fatigue, due to the nature of their work. During a pandemic, these hazards are more likely to occur. Switchboard's new information guide defines these hazards and includes organizational strategies for managing and addressing them so that staff can best support their clients and themselves. Click here to stream the accompanying webinar, which discusses both organizational and individual-level approaches. Read more Switchboard s New Blog SeriesNew Blog Series: Refugees and Asylees Have the Right to WorkBusting Three Myths about Social Security Delays Work Authorizationby Daniel WilkinsonService providers and clients around the nation continue to experience disruptions to early employment due to the impact of COVID-19. One important challenge has been the delay of documents often used to prove work authorization, particularly social security cards. This situation has brought to light several misconceptions commonly held by both employers and service providers regarding work authorization. In this blog post, we’ll bust some common myths regarding work authorization and social security numbers and cards and share some key resources and learning opportunities. Read more Overcoming Two Key Challenges when Communicating with Employers about Work Authorizationby Daniel WilkinsonService providers often encounter difficulties when communicating with employers about work authorization. This post provides tips on overcoming two common challenges when employers request specific documents from refugees and asylees as they complete the I-9.Read more Read more If you're new to the field, we recommend giving Healing the Hurt a read. This short book is a great introduction to torture treatment, covering the multidisciplinary fields included as well as critical overarching themes. What s New Dear Colleagues,Please click here to find Dear Colleague Letter (DCL) 21-16 Clarification Related to Afghan SQ/SI Parolees Eligibility for RCA/RMA.  It will be posted to the DCL page of the ORR web site in the near future (https://www.acf.hhs.gov/orr/policy-guidance/dear-colleague-letter).Please distribute as appropriate to your networks as these individuals have begun arriving to their resettlement locations within the United States.  Contact ORR’s Refugee Policy Unit (RefugeePolicy@acf.hhs.gov) with any questions.Kindly,Office of the DirectorPlease see ORR Policy Letter 21-05 regarding Continued Assistance for ORR Populations Afffected by COVID-19.The non-competing continuation (NCC) application is due on April 17, 2021, and the semi-annual Performance Progress Report (PPR) and Federal Financial Report (FFR) is due on April 30, 2021.  Please make sure to include the accomplishments from the previous budget year (FY20) and your plans for the coming year (FY22) in the NCC narrative. Accomplishments for the first reporting period of FY21 can also be included but it is not required.  Also, please make sure to include an updated logic model with achieved outputs/outcomes for FY20, as well as logic models for FY21 and FY22.  For more information regarding the ORR SOT semi-annual report guidance please refer to the 2021 ORR Reporting Guidancefor the Survivors of Torture Program.It is with great enthusiasm that I join HHS as the new Director of the Office of Refugee Resettlement. I have long valued the mission and work of ORR. I am honored to join this team of professionals so dedicated to welcoming refugees, asylees, and unaccompanied children and helping them to rebuild their lives and achieve their full potential.We know that you, too, are deeply committed to this work and we are grateful to partner with you. We don’t have to look far to see the many challenges and barriers to achieving our shared goals. But with a north star of human well-being and dignity, we can and must build back better.I invite you to share your input, feedback, and ideas for how we can innovate, center the experiences and expertise of the populations we serve, increase equity and inclusion throughout our work, create and effectively use data and evidence, and become better partners. Increasing welcome and improving outcomes is a whole-of-society endeavor.Please email me at ORR-OfficeofDirectorORR@HHSGOV.onmicrosoft.com, a new inbox to collect input from our grantees, contractors, and partners.I look forward to hearing from you and working with you!Warm regards,CindyCindy HuangDirector, Office of Refugee ResettlementAdministration for Children and Families, Department of Health and Human ServicesNotice from the Office of the Director, Office of Refugee Resettlement on January 22, 2021Re: ORR DCL 21-04: Inquiries for the Refugee Policy UnitClick here for the Dear Colleague Letter (DCL) 21-04: Inquiries for the Refugee Policy Unit.  It will be posted to the DCL page of ORR’s web site in the near future. Richard Mollica of the Harvard Program in Refugee Trauma recently wrote an op-ed on refugee resettlement for the Boston Globe.  A link to it is here:  Trump closed the door to thousands of refugees. Biden should kick it open.Note to job seekers: Healtorture.org is a part of the Center for Victims of Torture (CVT), which extends an offer of employment only after a multi-step, personal interview process. The complete list of open CVT positions is located here.The Society for Society of Refugee Healthcare Providers has compiled many resources on their website that have been shared through their listserv on Covid-19, social distancing, and other helpful information in languages reflective of refugee and asylum seeker populations. Check out their resource page: http://refugeesociety.org/covid-19-resourcesEugene Augusterfer of HPRT has shared this Medscape article on the COVID 19 changes to telemedicine. (Free registration is required to view the article.) https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/927556NCB's Healing Focus Quarterly Digest: Unaccompanied Youth Click here to view. The Marjorie Kovler Center, a program of Heartland Alliance International recently launched the Kovler Center Child Trauma Program which will expand our reach to serve immigrant and refugee children who have experienced trauma as a result of war, terrorism, forced migration, family separation, state sponsored torture, and resettlement.   For those of you who might have had issues taking some of the Fundamentals in Providing Services to Torture Survivors course modules, we have posted links to all parts of a module on the Fundamentals page.This course may be especially useful to new SOT staff. This online course comprises nine modules – Core Concepts and Eligibility Requirements, Cultural Competence, Mental Health Services, Social Services, Holistic Care Planning, Working with Interpreters, Self-Care, Legal Services, and Medical Services. Please contact Sara Bracewell with any technical issues in completing the course work.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have release a web page on how to "Be Safe After a Hurricane" Healing Hearts:  A New Study Shows Positive Results for Karen Clients. This blog post introduces a new paper titled “Integrated Behavioral Health Care for Karen Refugees: A Qualitative Exploration of Active Ingredients.” The paper discusses the Healing Hearts project’s exploration of the ways integrated behavioral health care (IBHC) can effectively address the needs of Karen refugee clients, showing success across a number of important criteria: participants increased their awareness and access to behavioral health services, increased their opportunity to have complex health conditions treated, and found a beneficial point of contact for care.The Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles (LAFLA) now offers a 24/7 on-line option for applying for legal help. Spread the word!Craig Higson-Smith, director of research, has published a paper at Torture Journal, titled “Towards a Contextually Appropriate Framework to Guide Counseling of Torture Survivors in Sub-Saharan Africa.” With his co-author, he examines the need for therapeutic interventions beyond those focused solely on past trauma. Here is a blog post introducing the paper. The full paper is available here. Stay connected FacebookTwitterThis site (RSS) Site photography by Stephanie Hynes Photography | Logo design by Synchronicity CVT National Capacity Building Project received $400,000 through competitive funding through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Grant #90ZT0187. The contents of this website are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families.The National Capacity Building Project is a project of The Center for Victims of Torture. No official endorsement by ORR, DHHS, or CVT for the information on this website is intended or should be inferred.

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