BEGINNING ANEW: Refugees and Asylum Seekers

BEGINNING ANEW: Refugees and Asylum Seekers

OBJECTIVES Refugee v. Asylum Seeker Psychological Effects on These Groups Potential Benefits of Group Counseling & Community Based Counseling

Refugee Defined A refugee is someone [men or women of all ages and children] who has fled from his or her home country and cannot return because he or she has a well-founded fear of persecution based on religion, race, nationality, political opinion or membership in a particular social group. -United Nation High Commissioner for Refugees

Migrants on the Move PHOTO CREDIT: REUTERS

REFUGEES & ASYLUM SEEKERS Countries of Origin Where have these groups come from Where are they coming from now How Many Different Countries Served Predominate Groups in San Diego and Where they Live

FLOW OF MIGRATION Credit: Vox

REFUGEES & ASYLUM SEEKERS SAN DIEGO Credit: San Diego Union Tribune

REFUGEE V. ASYLUM SEEKER IN THE UNITED STATES Legal Terms v. Social Concepts Process and Procedures for Refugees and Asylum Seekers

ENTERING THE U.S. AS A REFUGEE The U.S. Historically has Resettled the Most Refugees in the World The Process to Enter First Host Country Resettling in the U.S. Who Can Resettle Here What is the Vetting Process

PROCESS OF REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT Credit: hopenet360.com

BENEFITS GRANTED REFUGEES IN THE U.S. Refugee Resettlement Process Legal Status Language Skills Housing, School, Jobs Medical Assistance Financial Assistance Integration

CREDIT: GLOBAL GIVING REFUGEE NET

ASYLUM SEEKER - DEFENSIVE Entering the U.S. Declaring Asylum at the Border Already in the U.S. Detention & Release Court Proceedings Benefits Asylum Seekers Receive

CROSSING AT THE US BORDER Aslyum Seekers in San Diego from Central America Photo Credit: Jill Replogle for KPBS

ASYLUM SEEKER - AFFIRMATIVE Entering the U.S. With a legitimate visa or forged documents In the Community Immigration Officer

BEING GRANTED ASYLUM Benefits of Being Granted Asylum Receive Refugee Status Psychological Relief Petitioning for Family

PHOTO CREDIT: MOTHER JONES

FORCED TO FLEE Photo Credit: PBS

FORCED TO FLEE We lost each other in the chaos somewhere in South Africa. Female Client, late 20s We had to gather what we could and leave as fast as we could. - Female Client, mid-40s I was at the airport and my mother called. She said go to your conference [in the United States] and don t come back. They are looking for you. -Female Client, early 30s

WHAT DO PEOPLE LOSE? Loss of Country Loss of Culture Loss of Language Loss of Family (by death, by physical separation)

LOSS OF IDENTITY I feel like I m wasting my time. Male Client, mid 20s People look at me different when they hear my story. Male Client, late 20s People don t get me. My friends from the Middle East don t get me. No one understands. Female Client, late 20s

PSYCHOLOGY AND LOSS OF CULTURE The loss of one's social structure and culture can cause a grief reaction Migration involves the loss of the familiar, including language (especially colloquial and dialect), attitudes, values, social structures and support networks. - Migration, distress and cultural identity; Dinesh Bhugra

CREDIT: CENTER FOR VICTIMS OF TORTURE

"Many people believe torture it is a thing of the past or only happens to a few. The truth is, however, that torture persists in over 140 countries, that it happens to thousands of people every day and that it can happen to anyone of us." - Victor Madrigal-Borloz, Secretary General, IRCT

TORTURE Torture has devastating consequences for victims, their families and the broader community. Its severe physical and psychological effects disrupt victims life and often prevent them from continuing their life plan. They frequently feel powerless and overwhelmed by guilt and shame over the humiliations they have endured. - International Rehabilitation Center for Torture Victims IRCT.org

PSYCHOLOGY, TORTURE & REFUGEES The prevalence of torture in refugee populations is estimated to be 5-69%, varying greatly by country and ethnicity of origin. Torture and Refugees; Refugee Health Care

PSYCHOLOGY, TORTURE & REFUGEES The more common mental health diagnoses associated with refugee populations include posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), major depression, generalized anxiety, panic attacks, adjustment disorder, and somatization. - Refugee Health Technical Assistance Center

PSYCHOLOGY, TORTURE & REFUGEES Children and adolescents often have higher levels with various investigations revealing rates of PTSD from 5090% and major depression from 6-40%. Risk factors for the development of mental health problems include the number of traumas, delayed asylum application process, detention, and the loss of culture and support systems. Refugee Health Technical Assistance Center

PSYCHOLOGY, TORTURE & REFUGEES Traditionally the refugee experience is divided into three categories: preflight, flight, and resettlement. - Refugee Health Technical Assistance Center

WAITING FOR ASYLUM I can t get settled. I feel like I need to know so I can start my life. - Male Client, mid 20s I received my work permit. It was an answer from God. - Male Client, late 20s I have to move because I have to leave the apartment I m sharing. - Female Client, early 20s

WAITING FOR ASYLUM Asylum seekers also report anxiety about the backlog of asylum court cases that prolongs feelings of uncertainty, and instability; some clients have labeled it ongoing psychological torture. Dawn Stary & Erika Hess

THE WAIT For Zip Code 92116 current wait is 3 years 7 months & travel to court is 82 miles. http://thewait.nycitynewsservice.com/

BEGINNING AGAIN I want to contribute to the community here. The U.S. is my new home. Female Client, early 50s I still love my country [of origin] but this is my home now. I am so grateful for the people I have met here who have helped me. Female Client, late 30s

BEGINNING AGAIN Photo Credit: UNHCR World Refugee Day Poster 2016

COMMUNITY MODEL FOR HEALING Creating a Community, Creating Movement out of Isolation What is Community Based Healing? Who is involved? Examples from the field Helping Clients Connect To each other and services

NARRATIVE APPROACH Narrative therapy seeks to be a respectful, non-blaming approach to counseling and community work, which centers people as the experts in their own lives. It views problems as separate from people and assumes people have many skills, competencies, beliefs, values, commitments and abilities that will assist them to reduce the influence of problems in their lives. - Dulwhich Centre, Australia

NARRATIVE APPROACH IN GROUP The women are the experts Peer support Personal sharing Cultural expectations of personal sharing

Naming the rules each time & Why Who created the rules The Rules: A safe and affirming place All stories are held in confidence by every person in the room (clients, clinicians, interpreters) We may not agree but we do show respect This is a space to create new knowledge, new understandings and empathy

MEDITATION & MINDFULNESS IN GROUP Yoga Meditation Healing and Re-triggering Mindfulness and Body Awareness Body Awareness in Torture Survivors

HEALING IN COMMUNITY Photo Credit: NoTorture.org

QUOTES FROM THE GROUP We are family to you now. Female client, early 70s to a group member to a younger woman who had fled her country alone. I miss you [to the whole group] when we don t meet. I feel like I belong here. Like you understand me. Female Client, late 40s

QUOTES FROM THE GROUP I m sitting here in this beautiful place [we had met at a park this week], I m sharing food with you [to the group] and I ve met a woman from my same city. I m so grateful to be here right now. Female Client, early 60s You are like family to me [to the group], you are like my sisters, who I trust and can share with. Female Client, early 40s

RESOURCES Survivors of Torture, International NoTorture.org International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims IRCT.org United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) UNHCR.org Dulwhich Centre on Narrative Therapy DulwhichCentre.com.au

HOW YOU CAN HELP Volunteer Through Survivors of Torture, International https://notorture.org/volunteer-forsurvivors/ Yalla San Diego http://yallasd.org/volunteer/ St. Luke s North Park Sumitra http://www.stlukesnorthpark.org/sumitra

HOW YOU CAN HELP Through the Resettlement Agencies www.rescue.org/united-states/san-diego-ca www.jfssd.org alliance-for-africa.org/ www.catholiccharitiesscc.org/refugeeresettlement

Thank You! PHOTO CREDIT: BALTIMORE SUN