scholarly journals Empowering refugee families in transit: the development of a culturally competent and compassionate training and support package

2021 ◽  
pp. 174498712110187
Author(s):  
Irena Papadopoulos ◽  
Runa Lazzarino ◽  
Ourania Sakellaraki ◽  
Victor Dadãu ◽  
Paraskevi Apostolara ◽  
...  

Background Refugee parents who fled conflicts suffered violence and traumas and face huge challenges in supporting the health and welfare of their children while in transit. Aims To describe the development of a culturally competent and compassionate training and support package (TSP) for nurses, social and health care workers and volunteers, with a focus on parenting needs among unsettled refugees fleeing conflict. Methods The multi-method approach included: a scoping review covering parenting needs of refugees fleeing conflict zones; collection of stories from refugee parents, healthcare workers and volunteers via a mobile application; discussions between team members; a piloted and evaluated curriculum. Results High levels of family distress and deterioration of parental identity were identified. Informed by these results, the curriculum is articulated along 20 bite-sized learning units, covering four age stages of childhood as well as targeting adults’ well-being. Pilot training was evaluated positively, confirming feasibility and usefulness of the TSP. Conclusions Unsettled refugee parents fleeing conflicts face psycho-social and practical difficulties negatively affecting their parenting skills. The care workforce should be trained in order to provide culturally competent and compassionate support to help these families. Open access digital platforms are promising as autodidactic and self-help tools among hard-to-reach populations.

Author(s):  
Ryan J Hannan ◽  
Margaret K Lundholm ◽  
Dennis Brierton ◽  
Noelle R M Chapman

Abstract Purpose To describe how health systems may respond to sudden changes in operations by leveraging existing resources and to share one organization’s experience responding to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. Summary In a health system based in Illinois and Wisconsin, pharmacy services are provided by a single, integrated department responsible for all aspects of pharmaceutical care within the organization. Hospital, retail, ambulatory care, and population health services are all managed under one leadership team. All pertinent ancillary services are also managed within the department, including informatics, supply chain, and drug policy. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the pharmacy services leadership has successfully managed volume and capacity challenges by redirecting resources to where they are needed. A disaster response framework based on Federal Emergency Management Agency guidance was put in place, and change management principles were used to rapidly operationalize change. Components of the nimble response have included quickly increasing capacity, thoughtful and timely communication to all team members, strategic decision making with available data, creating an agile pool of labor, and maintaining an efficient system supply chain. Well-being and resilience are emphasized alongside reflection on lessons learned. Some changes made in the urgent response to the pandemic are being considered for long-term implementation. Conclusion Organizations have the potential to respond to almost any situation if they are integrated and teams work together to build flexibility. The keys to success are thoughtful maximization of existing resources and strong communication.


2021 ◽  
Vol 33 (4) ◽  
pp. 303-311
Author(s):  
Susan Reif ◽  
Haley Cooper ◽  
Elena Wilson ◽  
Gina Brown ◽  
Nicole Beckwith ◽  
...  

HIV-related stigma is pervasive in the U.S. South and has potential negative effects on health outcomes and emotional well-being, and may act as a barrier to HIV-related advocacy among people living with HIV (PLWH). This article reports on the preliminary outcomes associated with participation in an HIV advocacy training for PLWH, LEAD, that included education and skills building for reducing HIV-related stigma. Fifty-seven PLWH at four sites in the U.S. South participated in the retreat-style training and completed a survey measuring stigma and comfort engaging in advocacy prior to and after the worshop. Participation was associated with statistically significant reduction in internalized HIV stigma and increase in comfort with participation in advocacy; however, participants reported a need for ongoing training and support to further increase comfort with advocacy participation. Although more research is needed on the LEAD Workshop, it shows promise as an option for reducing HIV-related stigma among PLWH.


2018 ◽  
Vol 55 (2) ◽  
pp. 155-167 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard L LeBoeuf ◽  
Jorge T Gómez

This paper presents a methodology for teaching analog design concepts in the context of a single conceptual design and competition. The autonomous audio heater car is a comprehensive project-based analog design experience within a conceive, design, implement, operate framework. The students participate in the overall design process with guided discovery, rather than merely conducting scripted laboratory exercises. Students develop an understanding of the analog design required for each subsystem through weekly individual pre-laboratory and laboratory exercises. The car is guided to a beacon by light and/or audio tone. In transit, the car heats water to a temperature corresponding to the beacon tone and emits a tone corresponding to the instantaneous water temperature. The project culminates with team-based system integration and a competition. The individual work serves to cross-train all of the team members such that they all contribute effectively in the teams. The project motivated students because it provided a framework for laboratory topics, which would typically be considered without the broader context of a system design introduced at the beginning of the course.


2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 191-200
Author(s):  
Iyad M. Eid ◽  
Nurazzura Bt Mohamad Diah

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore how Palestinian refugee families in Malaysia cope with the challenges they face during their transitional destination. These families have recently fled from conflict zones in various Arab countries and moved to Malaysia where they registered in the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Kuala Lumpur, waiting for resettlement in a third country. Design/methodology/approach The paper utilizes the qualitative research approach, drawing descriptive analysis (thematic analysis technique) of data collected by semi-structured, in-depth interviews with 30 Palestinian families. For sample selection, the author used purposive sampling and employed the Snowball technique to select the families who have experienced refuge life for the second time. Then the sample was equally divided into three groups to include ten families moving from Iraq, Syria and the Gaza Strip. The interviews were conducted with the head of the families who varied in terms of gender and age composition. The study involved 9 female participants and 21 males. They are all Muslims and aged between 24 and 80 years old. In terms of educational background, all of the participants are literate with formal school education, diploma or tertiary education. Findings The study shows that refugee families adopt four main ways of coping commonly used to improve the quality of their life during their transition in Malaysia. They turn to religion and spirituality, keep in touch with relatives and friends in the diaspora and conflict zones, develop a positive image about their present situation by comparing it to worse living conditions of others living in conflict zones and plan to migrate to Europe to hold a European passport which will give them the opportunity to visit their original country, Palestine. Originality/value The paper tackles the Palestinian refugee family life and explores their real-life stories and experiences during transition in Malaysia. It provides them with an opportunity to speak up their suffering and reveal the various strategies they adopt to cope with life challenges. Besides, the result of the study will be a fruitful addition to the corpus of sociological knowledge as well as an important contribution to the families that stay in transition in different societies around the world.


2020 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charlotte M. Edelmann ◽  
Filip Boen ◽  
Katrien Fransen

Leadership plays an essential part in creating competitive advantage and well-being among employees. One way in which formal leaders can deal with the variety of responsibilities that comes with their role is to share their responsibilities with team members (i.e., shared leadership). Although there is abundant literature on how high-quality peer leadership benefits team effectiveness (TE) and well-being, there is only limited evidence about the underpinning mechanisms of these relationships and how the formal leader can support this process. To address this lacuna, we conducted an online survey study with 146 employees from various organizations. The results suggest that an empowering leadership style of the formal leader is associated with higher perceived peer leadership quality (PLQ) on four different leadership roles (i.e., task, motivational, social, and external leader). In addition, formal leaders who empower their team members are also perceived as better leaders themselves. Moreover, the improved PLQ was in turn positively related to TE and work satisfaction, while being negatively related to burnout. In line with the social identity approach, we found that team identification mediated these relationships. Thus, high-quality peer leaders succeeded in creating a shared sense of “us” in the team, and this team identification in turn generated all the positive outcomes. To conclude, by sharing their lead and empowering the peer leaders in their team, formal leaders are key drivers of the team’s effectiveness, while also enhancing team members’ health and well-being.


2019 ◽  
Vol 32 (5) ◽  
pp. 758-777
Author(s):  
Seher Razzaq ◽  
Jianglin Huang ◽  
Hongyi Sun ◽  
Min Xie

Purpose The research on people and project factors is found extensively in general but not specific to software engineering. Secondly, the existing research has not concentrated on the communication and time complexity of the teams on software economics. The purpose this paper is to develop a model to investigate and quantify the impact of time pressure (TP) on software economics through the communication influence of software team sizes (TS). Design/methodology/approach A research model and five hypotheses are developed based on the gaps in the literature. The data set from International Software Benchmarking Standards Group repository is used for testing the hypotheses. Findings Important findings include: smaller TS tends to exert less TP on average; TP is directly proportional to software economics, however; and TP does not affect the productivity required for the software. Research limitations/implications The study has the following implications: Selection of an appropriate TS for project completion that ensures minimum pressure on team members; and maximize software outcomes in stress-free environment. Practical implications This work is useful for organizations carrying out software projects with teamwork. The project managers can benefit from the results while planning the team factors for achieving the project goals. Social implications The results uphold not to exert pressure on the team as it will not only affect the duly completion of the project but also the well-being of employees. Originality/value The paper is the first one where the proposition of TP estimation is done using TS and communication complexity, and empirically evaluating the impact of TP on four major software economics are the major key contributions of this research work.


2009 ◽  
Vol 90 (1) ◽  
pp. 87-95 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gail Werrbach ◽  
Marjorie Withers ◽  
Elizabeth Neptune

This article describes the creation of a system of care in children's mental health by the Passamaquoddy Tribe located in Princeton, Maine. The history of this Native American community; the impact of oppression, historical trauma, and contemporary economic, health, and educational inequities on child and family health well-being; and the barriers to providing culturally competent child mental health services are reviewed. Descriptions of the key components and core concepts of the system of care are presented along with case examples highlighting the array of services. Finally, implications for practice in the creation of culturally competent systems of care within Native American communities are discussed.


2005 ◽  
Vol 33 (2) ◽  
pp. 140-150 ◽  
Author(s):  
Deidre M. Anglin ◽  
Kamieka O. S. Gabriel ◽  
Nadine J. Kaslow

This study was designed to examine the relationship between suicide acceptability and religious well-being, and to investigate the differences that may exist between African American suicide attempters and non-attempters on these two concepts. Two hundred low-income, African Americans were administered self-report questionnaires measuring suicide acceptability and religious well-being. Findings indicated that suicide acceptability was negatively related to religious well-being for both suicide attempters and non-attempters. There was also a significant difference between these two groups on suicide acceptability and religious well-being. Results were consistent with previous research that suggests that African Americans who attempt suicide endorse higher levels of suicide acceptability and lower levels of religious well-being than do their nonattempter counterparts. These findings have important implications for culturally-competent community programming and community mental health programs that serve low-income ethnic minority populations.


2014 ◽  
Vol 35 (5) ◽  
pp. 429-441 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gergana Markova ◽  
John T. Perry

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate interactions among members of self-managed teams (SMTs). The authors were interested in how leader emergence, group potency, and opinion compliance were related to team cohesion and member well-being. Design/methodology/approach – In a simulated business environment, the authors surveyed 236 students working in 54 SMTs. Participants reported their interactions and experiences at several points of time during class. Individual responses about team cohesion and group potency were aggregated for the purposes of the analysis. Findings – The paper found that leader emergence was associated with reduced cohesion among members and diminished individual well-being. Group potency was modestly associated with better cohesion among team members. Participants of more cohesive groups reported higher individual well-being. Opposite to the predictions, opinion compliance was not significantly related to individual well-being. Research limitations/implications – Within the limitations of the study design, the results suggest that leader emergence may have adverse effect on team interactions. Future research should investigate the positive and negative implications of an emerging leader in SMTs. Practical implications – The broad application of SMTs in organizations necessitates a critical examination of team dynamics and individual experiences of members. Along with team productivity, managers should consider the effects of team interactions on employees’ well-being. Employees who are drawn to more discretionary work such as SMTs may not favor leader emergence. Originality/value – The findings suggest that leader emergence may have negative implications for other team members and the overall team functioning.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document