Healing in Partnership

CVT Past Project

Healing in Partnership was a research, healing and training project focused on the St. Paul communities of the Karen from Burma, the Bhutanese, the Oromo from Ethiopia and the Somalis.

Healing in Partnership:

• Developed and implemented an easy-to-use mental health screening tool adapted for the refugee groups.
• Identified refugees who might be suffering from untreated trauma and referred individuals for further mental health care.
• Developed psychoeducation groups to help refugees understand the effects of war stress, loss, grief and the healing process, and to help them adjust to life in a new community.
• Trained refugee leaders on ways to promote healing in their communities.
• Shared project knowledge with mainstream clinics, mental health providers and refugee programs.

Note: Dr. Patricia Shannon, University of Minnesota professor, partnered with us on the project.

Healing in Partnership was funded by the Huss Foundation, Asian Pacific Endowment, a fund of the Minneapolis Foundation and The Saint Paul Foundation, The Saint Paul Foundation, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota Foundation, and the Medica Foundation

Links

• Minnesota Public Radio: Lack of services making refugee life more difficult
• Mental health symptoms count among the barriers that refugees must overcome

Files

• Education and Support Group for Karen Youth: A Manual for Co-Leaders