Training Considerations for Providers Engaged in Refugee Mental Health Care

Abstract. More people than ever in history are being displaced and becoming refugees due to political conflict, climate change, and persecution, among others. Meeting the mental health care needs of refugees has become a global priority. This population’s needs are unique due to the multiple traumatic experiences of refugees, their difficulties in navigating various systemic barriers, and the minimal specialized cultural training in refugee care. In order to improve the health of refugees, it is important to examine how care is delivered and the provider and systemic factors that perpetuate inequities and cultural misunderstandings in providing care. Most of the refugee literature focuses on refugee factors that limit access to care but falls short on discussing providers’ lack of training in refugee care. In the following paper, we present refugee mental health training considerations for providers. These considerations are based on the lessons learned from direct clinical work in a refugee clinic located in a major public academic hospital in the New England area (United States of America). The authors discuss the particular context of caring for refugee populations, the skills needed to work with this population, and considerations for navigating provider and systemic barriers that arise in refugee care. We believe that training mental health providers can have significant implications for refugee mental health care utilization, patient improved treatment outcomes, and on refugees’ increased sense of self-determination.