Working towards Culturally Responsive Trauma-Informed Care in the Refugee Resettlement Process: Qualitative Inquiry with Refugee-Serving Professionals in the United States

Trauma-informed care (TIC) approaches have gained popularity in various contexts of human services over the past decades. However, relatively little has been explored about how it is applicable and built into services for refugee populations in resettlement programs. This study explores the current status of the application of TIC in refugee-serving agencies and identifies perceived and experienced challenges and opportunities for culturally responsive TIC in the United States. As designed as part of the evaluation of state-wide refugee health promotion programs, this study conducted individual interviews with 78 refugee service providers from five resettlement sites. Despite the burgeoning interest and attempt to embrace TIC, our findings show that there is clear inconsistency and inexperience in TIC adaptation in resettlement programs. This study highlights that TIC that is culturally responsive and relevant to refugee trauma and acculturation experiences is a vital way to address the chasms between refugee-specific programs and mainstream services including mental health care systems. This study also discusses community resources and opportunities to bridge the deep divide and substantial gaps between mental health services and refugee resettlement services and to address comprehensive needs around mental health and wellness in the refugee community.

Download Full-text

Reflections of stress in US abortion narratives

Journal of Social Work ◽

10.1177/1468017319852602 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 20 (5) ◽

pp. 533-556 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Mickey Sperlich ◽

Gretchen E Ely ◽

Rebecca S Rouland ◽

Connor A Walters ◽

Max Carwile

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Social Work ◽

Thematic Analysis ◽

Traumatic Stress ◽

Work Practice ◽

The United States ◽

Social Work Practice ◽

Trauma Informed Care ◽

Trauma Informed ◽

Work Education

A trauma-informed, thematic analysis that identified stress-related themes evident in 39 personal abortion narratives from the Tennessee Stories Project in the United States is presented in this paper. Using the Braun and Clarke model of thematic analysis, guided by the trauma-informed social work framework, researchers examined these narratives to identify stress related themes.FindingsAn overall theme of stress and traumatic stress was found to be present throughout the abortion narratives. These themes were categorized into subthemes, including: (a) existing life stressors preceding the abortion experience, (b) stressors while trying to access abortion services, (c) stressors while obtaining abortion services, and (d) stressors arising after the procedure.ApplicationsThese results suggest that stress and traumatic stress were reflected in these abortion narratives throughout the abortion seeking experience. This finding supports the need for social work practice responses that are designed to address and eliminate stress during the process of seeking and obtaining an abortion in the United States. A trauma-informed framework is recommended for guiding social work education about abortion, social worker interactions with clients who are seeking abortions, and the development of abortion policy in the United States in order to better align the abortion seeking experience with the principles of trauma-informed care.

Download Full-text

Complex Trauma

10.4018/978-1-7998-7473-7.ch005 ◽

2022 ◽

pp. 82-102

Author(s):

Susan Wuchenich Parker

Keyword(s):

Higher Education ◽

United States ◽

Psychosocial Development ◽

Complex Trauma ◽

Personal Narrative ◽

The United States ◽

Higher Education Systems ◽

Trauma Informed Care ◽

Trauma Informed ◽

Outcomes For Children

Defining trauma is an individualized process that includes looking at events, experiences, and effects. Best practices explicitly state the importance of an individual's experiences when defining trauma. Therefore, solely utilizing a professional lens for discussion is often inappropriate. The purpose of this chapter is to examine trauma and trauma-informed care through both a professional and personal lens. Research on outcomes for children internationally adopted or living in foster care will be intertwined with personal narrative. Erikson's theory of psychosocial development will be the lens to examine how trauma affects life and learning as children grow and mature. Finally, specific anecdotal strategies will be shared that either provided or negated support on how potentially to navigate public and higher education systems in the United States.

Download Full-text

Trauma-Informed Care Education in Baccalaureate Nursing Curricula in the United States

Journal of Forensic Nursing ◽

10.1097/jfn.0000000000000263 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 15 (4) ◽

pp. 214-221 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Candace W. Burton ◽

Jessica R. Williams ◽

Jocelyn Anderson

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Baccalaureate Nursing ◽

The United States ◽

Care Education ◽

Nursing Curricula ◽

Trauma Informed Care ◽

Trauma Informed

Download Full-text

Death-Related Experiences and Funerary Practices of the Hmong Refugee in the United States

OMEGA - Journal of Death and Dying ◽

10.2190/8x4v-ulkp-u6v2-40xh ◽

1988 ◽

Vol 18 (1) ◽

pp. 63-70 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Christopher L. Hayes ◽

Richard A. Kalish

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

United States ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Service Providers ◽

The United States ◽

Health Problems ◽

Funerary Practices ◽

Burial Practices

This article reviews the death-related experiences and concerns of Hmong refugees from Laos. Traditional funerary and burial practices of the Hmong and the barriers to maintaining these practices in the United States are discussed. To understand the losses suffered by the Hmong, parallels are drawn between their experiences and those of holocaust victims. Because of their immense losses, many older Hmong are experiencing severe mental health problems. For those professionals and service providers who work with the dying and grieving, it is essential that they be aware of the customs and values of the population with whom they are working.

Download Full-text

Fleeing War, Fighting Xenophobia

International ResearchScape Journal ◽

10.25035/irj.04.01.01 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 4 ◽

Author(s):

Andrea Danziger

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

United Nations ◽

Group Dynamics ◽

Host Country ◽

The United States ◽

Refugee Resettlement ◽

Native Population ◽

Legal Policy ◽

Refugee Policies ◽

Resettlement Programs

The purpose of this research is to identify the key differences between German and American refugee policies as they relate to the ability of each country’s native population to successfully integrate refugees into their society. This body of work looks specifically at the German and American Refugee Resettlement Programs submitted to the United Nations. As shown in this research, new legal policy that can fight systematic distrust and discrimination becomes achievable by identifying the practices that contribute to in- and out-group dynamics between host country and refugees. Such policies will allow for the building of stronger, more integrated societies in the future. While Germany and the United States display both strengths and weakness in varying aspects of their respective refugee policies, neither has a significantly superior Refugee Resettlement Program.

Download Full-text