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Click to watch webinar recording COVID vaccinations: Practical and Ethical Considerations Webinar from February 24, 2021 with presenters Dr. Rajeev Bais and Dr. Edwin Hayes of the University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Carolina Survivor Clinic

Our content now speaks with ReadSpeaker. Click to learn more.

Telehealth Online Learning Event: Part 1:Telemedicine in Mental Health presentation and interview with Eugene F. Augusterfer, LCSW with the Harvard Program in Refugee Trauma. Photo of person in foreground with red and black shirt with hand showing over laptop view of other person smiling on video call in background. Photo by Dylan Ferreira on Unsplash

Click here for COVID-19 Resources for Survivor of Torture Programs from HealTorture.org

Click here for multilingual resources from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention

Click here to watch the archived Measured Impact Webinar on "Fundraising for Torture Treatment"

Request a consultation, ask questions on client confidentiality, how to find an expert, how to integrate trauma-informed care, best practices for group therapy, tips for working with torture survivors, and resources on secondary trauma.

Recording is now available for the measured impact webinar on The Science of Empathy, Empathic Reflection, and Empathic Regulation in Clinical Care. Presented by Richard F. Mollica, MD, MAR and Eugene Augusterfer, LICSW. The artwork, "Communication", is a derivative of J.M. used under CC BY. This derivative is by Sara Bracewell.

To watch our recorded Measured Impact Webinar on Exposure Therapy with Torture Survivors in Exile: Overview and Adaptations, with presenter Andrea Northwood, PhD, LP, Director of Client Services for Center for Victims of Torture click here, you must be logged in as a member to view. Image of life line of survivor with rocks and flowers.

The Center of Victims of Torture presents: Improving Well-Being for Refugees in Primary Care: A Toolkit for Providers

Listen

I am a PROVIDER I am a SURVIVOR I have QUESTIONS

What does HealTorture.org offer Service Providers?
How do I learn about the Healing Process?
What can I learn about via Webinars or by watching Videos?
What if I am a New Employee to a program serving torture survivors?
What resources are available to Students researching the healing process of torture survivors?

We encourage people who are serving survivors of torture to submit resources to this website.

Torture Survivors: Hidden in Plain Sight

Here is a recent special report in Emergency Medicine News, “Torture Survivors: Hidden in Plain Sight,” by Gina Shaw, which cites many of our friends from Libertas Center for Human Rights, like Dr. Lars Beattie and Dr. Rajeev Bais (both founders of Libertas), and Dr. Dinali Fernando, as well as Dr. Allen Keller (founder of Bellevue Program for Survivors of Torture).

Supporting ORR's UC Program

Dear Resettlement Agencies and Refugee Program Discretionary Grantees,

The Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) has learned that there is a strong interest to support increasing provider participation in the Unaccompanied Children (UC) program. ORR is working diligently to expand our licensed bed capacity and other support resources, and we recognize that a lot of you have been fielding questions about this, or are interested in helping yourself, and we hope that the following information will be helpful to you.

Below are categories and options for an organization to work with the ORR to

Updates on COVID-19 Resources

FDA: Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) factsheets for the Pfizer and Modern COVID-19 Vaccine. Please note that the languages bolded are new updates as of 2/1/21:

Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine | FDA

Translated factsheets for recipients and caregivers.
When you enter the site, make sure to scroll down to the bottom of the webpage for hyperlinks to the translated languages below.
Available in Arabic, Burmese, Cherokee, Chuukese, Chinese, French, German, Haitian Creole, Hindi, Hmong, lu Mien, Khmer, Korean, Mam, Marshallese, Navajo, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Somali, Tagalog,

New Publications in Intervention Journal

“A Field Report on the Pilot Implementation of Problem Management Plus with Lay Providers in an Eritrean Refugee Setting in Ethiopia” - This report covers a pilot training program that was conducted with paraprofessionals working with Eritrean refugees in Ethiopia, focused on skills and delivery of the Problem Management Plus (PM+) intervention, which focuses on mental health needs in humanitarian crises, including COVID response. Authors Frezgi Gebrekristos, MA, EQUIP focal person, CVT Ethiopia-Tigray; Liyam Eloul, MA, clinical advisor; and Shannon Golden, PH.D., research associate; write about the project and lessons learned. Download the PDF here.

“Development of a Tool to Assess Competencies of Problem Management Plus Facilitators Using Observed Standardised Role Plays: The EQUIP Competency Rating Scale for Problem Management Plus”

Switchboard Blog: Responding to Questions and Concerns about the COVID-19 Vaccine, Including During Ramadan

Responding to Questions and Concerns about the COVID-19 Vaccine, Including During Ramadan
NRC-RIM

This blog post features tips and resources to help refugee service providers address questions and concerns about the COVID-19 vaccine. It includes customizable communications templates and campaigns, responses to common client questions, videos addressing concerns about vaccines and Ramadan, and more!

CVT Literature Selection Q1 2021

This document is a resource for current literature, January through March, on the topic of the mental health status of and treatments for torture survivors, war trauma survivors, refugees, and asylum seekers. This also includes research in the area of social work that relates directly to the psychological well-being of these populations. The compilation below includes peer reviewed journal article citations in these areas and links to the publicly available abstracts and full text versions of these articles. It does not currently include articles on policy and advocacy.

New American Neighbors video outreach project on COVID-19 vaccination hesitancy

Our friends at the New American Neighbors video outreach project have just produced and posted a set of nine videos concerning COVID-19 vaccination hesitancy. The videos are in Amharic, Arabic, Dari, French, Nepali, Pashtu, Somali, Spanish, and Tigrinya. Videos in Burmese and Karen will be added soon.

Each video addresses the facts that the COVID-19 vaccine is safe and effective, and has been scientifically tested.

For Providers on Telehealth.HHS.gov: New Telebehavioral Health Care Best Practice Guide

clipart of a person on a telehealth call Telehealth.HHS.gov has added a new best practice guide on telehealth for behavioral health care. Behavioral health – like other areas of health care – has changed significantly due to the COVID-19 public health emergency. It is now easier for mental health providers to offer and get reimbursed for telebehavioral health services. Telehealth can also make behavioral health services safer and more private and convenient for patients who can access care from their home. Find resources in the telebehavioral health best practice guide on getting started, developing a strategy, billing, preparing

CDC Article Highlights Trends in Health Centers’ Telehealth Use during the COVID-19 Pandemic

stockart of a telehealth session on a computer Using data from 245 health centers that completed the voluntary weekly Health Center COVID-19 Survey, a new CDC article reviews trends in telehealth use, including by U.S. Census region and urban/rural classification, during a 20-week period. Study results underscore the need to sustain expanded telehealth use among health centers and to continue to address barriers to telehealth adoption, particularly in the south and rural areas.

For more information about survey results—including links to dashboards—visit our Health Center COVID-19 Survey page.

Vaccinations Guidance for Childcare Workers

Dear Office of Refugee Resettlement Partners,

On March 2, 2021, the President announced that he is directing all states to prioritize school staff and childcare workers for COVID-19 vaccination, and is challenging them to get teachers, school staff, and workers in child care programs their first shot by the end of March.

National Resource Center for Refugees, Immigrants, and Migrants (NRC-RIM) Website Now Live

The National Resource Center for Refugees, Immigrants, and Migrants logo. Background gradient from blue to light blue-green. Logo includes white circle.

Our CDC partners would like you to know that the National Resource Center for Refugees, Immigrants and Migrants (NRC-RIM) has officially launched its website!

The National Resource Center for Refugees, Immigrants, and Migrants (NRC-RIM) is funded by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to provide assistance and resources to state and local health departments working with refugee, immigrant, and migrant communities that have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19. More than just a library, NRC-RIM empowers organizations to replicate best practices from across the country, increase their knowledge of key concepts for serving RIM communities, and ultimately serve more people than ever before. Whether you need COVID-19 translated materials (roughly 3,000 translated COVID-19 materials and resources in around 100 languages), COVID-19 vaccine toolkits or on-demand training, NRC-RIM has the resources you need right now.

New translations:
Last week, NRC-RIM released the second video in their Reflections series, which highlights the ways that COVID-19 has affected the lives of refugees, immigrants and migrants.

COVID Vaccinations: Practical and Ethical Considerations

Description

The COVID-19 crisis has particular implications for Survivors of Torture programs and non-hospital-based organizations are starting to ask questions about safely providing services now that vaccination is possible for many staff and clients. What are the ethical considerations about safely returning to in-person services? Do we need to mandate that staff get vaccinated? Clients? Can we still infect others if we have been vaccinated? How can we as providers assure our clients have current and accurate information on vaccination?

In this webinar, Dr. Rajeev Bais and Dr.

Updates from our CDC colleagues on COVID-19 Vaccines

CDC hosted the National Forum on COVID-19 Vaccine last week and provided links to forum toolkits and video resources.

**Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) factsheets for the Pfizer and Modern COVID-19 Vaccine. Please note that the languages bolded are new updates.**

Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine | FDA

Translated factsheets for recipients and caregivers.
When you enter the site, make sure to scroll down to the bottom of the webpage for hyperlinks to the translated languages below.
Available in Arabic, Burmese, Cherokee, Chuukese, Chinese, French, German, Haitian Creole, Hindi, Hmong, lu Mien,

Presentation for ORR Grantees on COVID-19 Update, Medicines and Vaccines

Description:

In this presentation Dr. Rajeev Bais of the University of South Carolina School of Medicine Carolina Survivor Clinic in Columbia, SC presents a concise description of the COVID-19 virus, its prevalence, treatment, and up-to-date information on vaccination.

Dr. Bais has also asked us to share his phone number for those of you who may have questions about COVID-19: 732-754-7410.

Resources:

Estimated transmissibility and severity of novel SARS-CoV-2 Variant of Concern 202012/01 in England

Authors: Nicholas Davies*, Rosanna C Barnard1, Christopher I Jarvis1, Adam J Kucharski1,

About ReadSpeaker

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HealTorture.org now has ReadSpeaker! Here is more information on the Listen Function: ReadSpeaker webReader

With ReadSpeaker webReader, the content our website of our website can be read aloud to you. Just one click, and the text on a web page is simultaneously read aloud and highlighted so you can easily follow along, regardless of device or where you may be. This makes the content more accessible and visiting the website is a more enriching experience. As a user, you don't have to download anything.

How does it work?

The webReader is located on every

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People from refugee, immigrant and migrant (RIM) communities are incredibly diverse, representing many cultures, languages, regions of the world, as well as beliefs and values. Unique communities need unique approaches to COVID-19 vaccine confidence, and now there are resources to help you do just that.

The National Resource Center for Refugees, Immigrants and Migrants (NRC-RIM) worked with IDEO.org, a nonprofit design studio, to build vaccination campaigns in genuine partnership with specific RIM communities. This meant working alongside community leaders to lead the creation and dissemination of their messaging campaigns.

Join this webinar...

Register for Switchboard's Webinar on April 29th

National Origin Discrimination: Workplace Issues & Civil Rights Protections for Immigrant and Refugee Workers

What will this webinar cover?
This is an opportunity to hear directly from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the agency responsible for enforcing federal laws that prohibit employment discrimination. EEOC laws cover most employers with at least 15 employees, most labor unions, and most employment agencies. The EEOC also works to prevent discrimination before it occurs through outreach, education, and technical assistance programs.

National Institute of Mental Health: Webinar on Managing Stress and Anxiety

The continued uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic remains a source of stress for everyone, not just individuals diagnosed with anxiety. A recent National Institute of Mental Health session on managing stress and anxiety outlined coping techniques on how to maintain one's mental health during the pandemic and when to get professional help. A recording is available here.

Recording of the webinar is available by clicking here.

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to worsen, health experts warn the winter months will be especially difficult. COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths are increasing at record numbers, with some healthcare systems preparing for bed and staff shortages. While safe and effective vaccines are on the horizon, communities will face numerous challenges related to logistics, distribution and overcoming vaccine hesitancy.

Switchboard's New Blog Series on Race and Racism

Talking about Race and Racism:

Switchboard has partnered with the Ethiopian Community Development Council (ECDC) for a three-part blog series on talking about race and racism in various settings. The series includes guidance on how to prepare yourself for these conversations, tips for participating in introductory conversations, and tips for conversations with refugee youth.

Switchboard: New Information Guide on Preventing Occupational Hazards

Preventing Occupational Hazards by Promoting Organizational Resilience:

Refugee service providers are likely to experience occupational hazards, such as burnout, secondary traumatic stress, and compassion fatigue, due to the nature of their work. During a pandemic, these hazards are more likely to occur. Switchboard's new information guide defines these hazards and includes organizational strategies for managing and addressing them so that staff can best support their clients and themselves. Click here to stream the accompanying webinar, which discusses both organizational and individual-level approaches.

New Blog Series: Refugees and Asylees Have the Right to Work

Busting Three Myths about Social Security Delays & Work Authorization
by Daniel Wilkinson
Service providers and clients around the nation continue to experience disruptions to early employment due to the impact of COVID-19. One important challenge has been the delay of documents often used to prove work authorization, particularly social security cards. This situation has brought to light several misconceptions commonly held by both employers and service providers regarding work authorization. In this blog post, we’ll bust some common myths regarding work authorization and social security numbers and cards and share some key resources and learning opportunities.
Read more >>

Overcoming Two Key Challenges when Communicating with Employers about Work Authorization
by Daniel Wilkinson
Service providers often encounter difficulties when communicating with employers about work authorization. This post provides tips on overcoming two common challenges when employers request specific documents from refugees and asylees as they complete the I-9.
Read more >>

Blog from Switchboard: Wellbeing and Self-Care for Service Providers during COVID-19

Refugee service providers face unique challenges in supporting their clients while maintaining their own wellbeing during COVID-19. Switchboard has created a three-part blog and podcast series on staff self-care. Topics covered include Managing our Own Emotional Needs while Helping Refugee Clients

COVID-19 blog posts from Switchboard

Wellbeing for Service Providers during COVID-19: Managing our Own Emotional Needs While Helping Refugee Clients

Language Access in Times of Crisis: Getting Started With Video Remote Interpreting

Using Virtual Job Readiness Resources: Tips and Materials for Clients with Online Access

Helping Refugee Clients Cope During the COVID-19 Crisis

Helping Refugee Children and Parents Cope During the COVID-19 Crisis

Helping Your Clients Navigate Economic Hardship During the COVID-19 Crisis

PTV Exercise and Dance Classes to relieve stress and get moving through this crisis!

Hello HealTorture Community! PTV has partnered and is supporting our artists and staff who are offering classes online during this quarantine period. Classes are free (or donations welcome directly to the artist). Please join us and share with your networks!

NOTE: All times are PST - Pacific

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Switchboard is pleased to announce a new video series!

These video interviews feature former refugees living in Atlanta, GA; Hyattsville, MD; and Lancaster, PA. The four-part series elevates the voices of previously served clients, giving them the opportunity to reflect on their early experiences in the U.S. and a platform to share their perspectives and advice with service providers and newly arrived clients.

Blog from Switchboard: A Round-Up of Multilingual Resources on COVID-19

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “There is an ongoing outbreak of respiratory disease caused by a novel (new) coronavirus that was first detected in China and which has now been detected in more than 100 locations internationally, including in the United States. [The disease caused by this virus] has been …

A Round-Up of Multilingual Resources on COVID-19Read More »

What's New

NCB's Healing Focus Quarterly Digest: COVID-19 Vaccinations and Supportive Resources

Click here to view.

FY2021 Reporting:

Please see ORR Policy Letter 21-05 regarding Continued Assistance for ORR Populations Afffected by COVID-19.

The non-competing continuation (NCC) application is due on April 17, 2021, and the semi-annual Performance Progress Report (PPR) and Federal Financial Report (FFR) is due on April 30, 2021. Please make sure to include the accomplishments from the previous budget year (FY20) and your plans for the coming year (FY22) in the NCC narrative. Accomplishments for the first reporting period of FY21 can also be included but it is not required. Also, please make sure to include an updated logic model with achieved outputs/outcomes for FY20, as well as logic models for FY21 and FY22. For more information regarding the ORR SOT semi-annual report guidance please refer to the 2021 ORR Reporting Guidancefor the Survivors of Torture Program.

Welcome message from ORR Director Cindy Huang

Dear ORR Partners,

It is with great enthusiasm that I join HHS as the new Director of the Office of Refugee Resettlement. I have long valued the mission and work of ORR. I am honored to join this team of professionals so dedicated to welcoming refugees, asylees, and unaccompanied children and helping them to rebuild their lives and achieve their full potential.

We know that you, too, are deeply committed to this work and we are grateful to partner with you. We don’t have to look far to see the many challenges and barriers to achieving our shared goals. But with a north star of human well-being and dignity, we can and must build back better.

I invite you to share your input, feedback, and ideas for how we can innovate, center the experiences and expertise of the populations we serve, increase equity and inclusion throughout our work, create and effectively use data and evidence, and become better partners. Increasing welcome and improving outcomes is a whole-of-society endeavor.

Please email me at ORR-OfficeofDirectorORR@HHSGOV.onmicrosoft.com, a new inbox to collect input from our grantees, contractors, and partners.

I look forward to hearing from you and working with you!

Warm regards,

Cindy

Cindy Huang

Director, Office of Refugee Resettlement

Administration for Children and Families, Department of Health and Human Services

Notice from the Office of the Director, Office of Refugee Resettlement on January 22, 2021

Re: ORR DCL 21-04: Inquiries for the Refugee Policy Unit

Click here for the Dear Colleague Letter (DCL) 21-04: Inquiries for the Refugee Policy Unit. It will be posted to the DCL page of ORR’s web site in the near future.

Richard Mollica of the Harvard Program in Refugee Trauma recently wrote an op-ed on refugee resettlement for the Boston Globe. A link to it is here: Trump closed the door to thousands of refugees. Biden should kick it open.

Note to job seekers: Healtorture.org is a part of the Center for Victims of Torture (CVT), which extends an offer of employment only after a multi-step, personal interview process. The complete list of open CVT positions is located here.

The Society for Society of Refugee Healthcare Providers has compiled many resources on their website that have been shared through their listserv on Covid-19, social distancing, and other helpful information in languages reflective of refugee and asylum seeker populations. Check out their resource page: http://refugeesociety.org/covid-19-resources

Eugene Augusterfer of HPRT has shared this Medscape article on the COVID 19 changes to telemedicine. (Free registration is required to view the article.) https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/927556

NCB's Healing Focus Quarterly Digest: Unaccompanied Youth

Click here to view.

The Marjorie Kovler Center, a program of Heartland Alliance International recently launched the Kovler Center Child Trauma Program which will expand our reach to serve immigrant and refugee children who have experienced trauma as a result of war, terrorism, forced migration, family separation, state sponsored torture, and resettlement.

For those of you who might have had issues taking some of the Fundamentals in Providing Services to Torture Survivors course modules, we have posted links to all parts of a module on the Fundamentals page.

This course may be especially useful to new SOT staff. This online course comprises nine modules – Core Concepts and Eligibility Requirements, Cultural Competence, Mental Health Services, Social Services, Holistic Care Planning, Working with Interpreters, Self-Care, Legal Services, and Medical Services. Please contact Sara Bracewell with any technical issues in completing the course work.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have release a web page on how to "Be Safe After a Hurricane"

Healing Hearts: A New Study Shows Positive Results for Karen Clients. This blog post introduces a new paper titled “Integrated Behavioral Health Care for Karen Refugees: A Qualitative Exploration of Active Ingredients.” The paper discusses the Healing Hearts project’s exploration of the ways integrated behavioral health care (IBHC) can effectively address the needs of Karen refugee clients, showing success across a number of important criteria: participants increased their awareness and access to behavioral health services, increased their opportunity to have complex health conditions treated, and found a beneficial point of contact for care.

The Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles (LAFLA) now offers a 24/7 on-line option for applying for legal help. Spread the word!

Craig Higson-Smith, director of research, has published a paper at Torture Journal, titled “Towards a Contextually Appropriate Framework to Guide Counseling of Torture Survivors in Sub-Saharan Africa.” With his co-author, he examines the need for therapeutic interventions beyond those focused solely on past trauma. Here is a blog post introducing the paper. The full paper is available here.

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We encourage people who are serving survivors of torture to submit resources to this website.

FDA: Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) factsheets for the Pfizer and Modern COVID-19 Vaccine. Please note that the languages bolded are *new* updates as of 2/1/21:

Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) factsheets for the Pfizer and Modern COVID-19 Vaccine. Please note that the languages bolded are *new* updates.

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Resources:

HealTorture.org now has ReadSpeaker! Here is more information on the Listen Function: ReadSpeaker webReader

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Register for NRC-RIM Webinars: Community-Led COVID-19 Messaging that Supports Vaccine Confidence