Mental Health Programs for Refugees

Abstract

As a resettlement country, the United States needs to acknowledge these events and create mental health programs that can help treat the disorders that may arise from traumatic experiences in order to make refugees more capable in society. The goal of all federal, state, and local programs is to have self-sufficient refugees that are capable of working, attending school, and/or caring for a family. If the refugee is suffering from headaches or nightmares, . . . it becomes difficult for him/her to become selfsufficient. In the U.S., few programs are addressing the issues of mental health care and the implications on refugee resettlement. Some of the problems with addressing mental health in the refugee population are caused by a lack of funding, cultural differences in treatment, and a lack of a social network of caregivers. The U.S. tries to address the problem of funding through the Medicaid insurance program for low-income families. Medicaid includes a Mental Health Care option for clients needing psychiatric help. Local agencies like the Center for Multicultural Human Services in Falls Church, Virginia address the issues of cultural sensitive treatment of mental disorders in refugees and other immigrant populations. Resettlement agencies like Refugee and Immigration Services of Richmond understand the need for network of caregivers and do try to provide available services to refugees. Although these services are available there are limits to each of them. This paper assesses the quality of these services, the people they serve, the number of clients, and the changes that need to be made. [From introductory section]