Healing the Wounds in the Community

Over 15,000 African immigrants now call the Brooklyn Park/Brooklyn Center community northwest of Minneapolis home. Estimates reveal that 8,500 of them are survivors of torture and war trauma.

The New Neighbors/Hidden Scars project brings together schools, clinics, churches and other organizations to help these new residents heal from their physical and emotional wounds.

The goals of the project are to:

• Educate the community on the symptoms and effects of torture
• Train medical and social service professionals on working with survivors of war trauma
• Reassure African immigrants they aren't alone in their pain and that help is available
• Develop referral systems among the local clinics and organizations
• Create care systems that understand and can respond to torture and war trauma survivors

Recent Study
Communicating Trauma with Providers (PDF)
This New Neighbors/Hidden Scars study found that many refugees fleeing political conflict and violence are affected by their experiences but have not spoken to their doctors about them. Read the press release here.

More information about New Neighbors/Hidden Scars (PDF format)

October 2007 Project Update
July 2007 Project Update
March 2007 Project Update
December 2006 Project Update
October 2006 Project Update
June 2006 Project Update
March 2006 Project Update

Project brochure for community organizations

Storycloth newsletter featuring New Neighbors/Hidden Scars

For more information please contact Dr. Patricia Shannon at pshannon@cvt.org.

New Neighbors/Hidden Scars is generously funded by:

The Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota Foundation
Medica Foundation
The Otto Bremer Foundation
The Park Nicollet Foundation
The Robins, Kaplan, Miller and Ciresi LLP Foundation for Education, Public Health and Social Justice, a supporting organization of The Minneapolis Foundation
The UCare Minnesota Fund Council of the Minnesota Medical Foundation