Working towards Culturally Responsive Trauma-Informed Care in the Refugee Resettlement Process: Qualitative Inquiry with Refugee-Serving Professionals in the United States

Trauma-informed care (TIC) approaches have gained popularity in various contexts of human services over the past decades. However, relatively little has been explored about how it is applicable and built into services for refugee populations in resettlement programs. This study explores the current...

Descripción completa

Guardado en:
Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores principales: Hyojin Im, Laura E. T. Swan
Formato: article
Lenguaje:EN
Publicado: MDPI AG 2021
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://doaj.org/article/75ade35c0e8c4c88b5566eeaf08620c3
Etiquetas: Agregar Etiqueta
Sin Etiquetas, Sea el primero en etiquetar este registro!
Descripción
Sumario:Trauma-informed care (TIC) approaches have gained popularity in various contexts of human services over the past decades. However, relatively little has been explored about how it is applicable and built into services for refugee populations in resettlement programs. This study explores the current status of the application of TIC in refugee-serving agencies and identifies perceived and experienced challenges and opportunities for culturally responsive TIC in the United States. As designed as part of the evaluation of state-wide refugee health promotion programs, this study conducted individual interviews with 78 refugee service providers from five resettlement sites. Despite the burgeoning interest and attempt to embrace TIC, our findings show that there is clear inconsistency and inexperience in TIC adaptation in resettlement programs. This study highlights that TIC that is culturally responsive and relevant to refugee trauma and acculturation experiences is a vital way to address the chasms between refugee-specific programs and mainstream services including mental health care systems. This study also discusses community resources and opportunities to bridge the deep divide and substantial gaps between mental health services and refugee resettlement services and to address comprehensive needs around mental health and wellness in the refugee community.