USCRI Hosts Mental Health Workshop

On August 9th, USCRI’s Refugee Health Services team at the Texas Field Office hosted a Mental Health and Wellness Workshop. Those in attendance included participants from organizations ranging from interfaith and non profit organizations to the Office of Refugee Resettlement. Participants of the workshop learned about the prevalence of trauma in refugees and how to recognize associated symptoms of PTSD, especially in children. They were also able to learn about community resources such as resources available to refugees within mental health as well as other agencies and services provided by these agencies, which will enable the provision of more comprehensive care for refugees in the future.

Finally, participants were able to hear the stories of refugees themselves, providing a testament to the resiliency of the clients that USCRI is so committed to helping.

Not only was the workshop aimed at assisting the health needs of refugees, but USCRI arranged for catering with Baiti, a catering company owned by an Iraqi refugee family. As the business grows, the family has bigger goals including finding an investor or partner to expand, and even opening their own restaurant so that one day, they can hire refugee employees, too.

The workshop ultimately had 63 participants in attendance, the majority of which felt that they had gained knowledge that will help them to be more effective and understanding when working with refugees in the future.

You can learn more about USCRI’s Wellness Initiative here. Or, learn more about all of USCRI’s refugee health services here.

You can find health resources, studies, and reports here.