Mental Health Resources

Torture survivors engage in psychological services to pursue a wide range of goals, from single symptom reduction to addressing the complex effects of torture on their families and communities. Psychological effects of torture vary considerably. Likewise, there is wide variation in the types of assistance sought to address such effects, depending on a host of factors ranging from service accessibility to beliefs about health and healing.

607 Resources Available

Browse all Mental Health Resources

Unpacking the Wounds of Cultural Displacement: Trauma, Healing, and Reconciliation in Jhumpa Lahiri’s The Namesake

Social Services Resources

Torture occurs within a cultural and social context. It breaks the connections between individuals and their social environment. It separates the bonds of communities. Social work interventions, therefore, are directed at individuals, their families and immediate environments, community, social, and functional groups, and policies and systems. These are accomplished through direct service, resource development, community interventions, education and training, research, and public policy work.

410 Resources Available

Browse all Social Services Resources

Collaborative Care: Psychosocial Well-Being Attending to Basic Needs

Available to ELearning Subscriber, Full Member, Other ORR Grant Recipients, and NCTTP Member

Legal Resources

Attorneys encounter torture survivors with a variety of legal needs. Frequently, however, the survivor’s initial and most pressing legal problem involves immigration matters, such as asylum, family reunification, or defense from removal (deportation). Because safety is crucial to the survivor’s ability to engage fully in torture treatment services, the asylum process is integral to rehabilitation.

278 Resources Available

Browse all Legal Resources

Guide: Afghan Backgrounder

Medical Resources

Survivors of torture often present for care in medical settings, and sometimes in torture treatment programs. The medical portion of HealTorture.org is primarily, but not exclusively, geared to primary care providers (PCPs), including family doctors, internists, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants. Other staff members in medical settings such as nurses and medical assistants can also facilitate survivors’ healing. Survivors frequently present to gynecologists (due to genital trauma, pelvic pain, etc.), cardiologists (persistent chest pain), gastroenterologists (persistent abdominal pain), and neurologists (intractable headaches and history of traumatic brain injury). Many survivors have gotten great relief of symptoms from physical therapists and practitioners of yoga and Traditional Chinese Medicine.

608 Resources Available

Browse all Medical Resources

Collaborative Care: Introduction to Collaborative Care

Available to ELearning Subscriber, Full Member, Other ORR Grant Recipients, and NCTTP Member

Integrative Care Resources

30 Resources Available

Browse all Integrative Care Resources

Collaborative Care: Introduction to Collaborative Care

Available to ELearning Subscriber, Full Member, Other ORR Grant Recipients, and NCTTP Member

Administration Resources

Resources for practitioners in operations and administration who are serving survivors of torture are as follows: development, integrated care, evaluation, technology, training, working with interpreters, and self-care.

305 Resources Available

Browse all Administration Resources

Program Evaluation Resources

Resources for all staff serving survivors of torture to use program evaluation to set the direction of the program, assess the impact of their work, and improve care. For those with dedicated Evaluation and/or Data Management staff, there is a Roadmap to Data Analysis series for an introduction to inferential statistics and Client Data Toolkit series on identifying and implementing a client data management system for your organizational needs.

70 Resources Available

Browse all Program Evaluation Resources

Fundamentals: Introduction to Program Evaluation

Available to ELearning Subscriber, Full Member, Other ORR Grant Recipients, and NCTTP Member

Mental Health Resources

Torture survivors engage in psychological services to pursue a wide range of goals, from single symptom reduction to addressing the complex effects of torture on their families and communities. Psychological effects of torture vary considerably. Likewise, there is wide variation in the types of assistance sought to address such effects, depending on a host of factors ranging from service accessibility to beliefs about health and healing.

607 Resources Available

Browse all Mental Health Resources

Unpacking the Wounds of Cultural Displacement: Trauma, Healing, and Reconciliation in Jhumpa Lahiri’s The Namesake

Social Services Resources

Torture occurs within a cultural and social context. It breaks the connections between individuals and their social environment. It separates the bonds of communities. Social work interventions, therefore, are directed at individuals, their families and immediate environments, community, social, and functional groups, and policies and systems. These are accomplished through direct service, resource development, community interventions, education and training, research, and public policy work.

410 Resources Available

Browse all Social Services Resources

Collaborative Care: Psychosocial Well-Being Attending to Basic Needs

Available to ELearning Subscriber, Full Member, Other ORR Grant Recipients, and NCTTP Member

Legal Resources

Attorneys encounter torture survivors with a variety of legal needs. Frequently, however, the survivor’s initial and most pressing legal problem involves immigration matters, such as asylum, family reunification, or defense from removal (deportation). Because safety is crucial to the survivor’s ability to engage fully in torture treatment services, the asylum process is integral to rehabilitation.

278 Resources Available

Browse all Legal Resources

Guide: Afghan Backgrounder

Medical Resources

Survivors of torture often present for care in medical settings, and sometimes in torture treatment programs. The medical portion of HealTorture.org is primarily, but not exclusively, geared to primary care providers (PCPs), including family doctors, internists, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants. Other staff members in medical settings such as nurses and medical assistants can also facilitate survivors’ healing. Survivors frequently present to gynecologists (due to genital trauma, pelvic pain, etc.), cardiologists (persistent chest pain), gastroenterologists (persistent abdominal pain), and neurologists (intractable headaches and history of traumatic brain injury). Many survivors have gotten great relief of symptoms from physical therapists and practitioners of yoga and Traditional Chinese Medicine.

608 Resources Available

Browse all Medical Resources

Collaborative Care: Introduction to Collaborative Care

Available to ELearning Subscriber, Full Member, Other ORR Grant Recipients, and NCTTP Member

Integrative Care Resources

30 Resources Available

Browse all Integrative Care Resources

Collaborative Care: Introduction to Collaborative Care

Available to ELearning Subscriber, Full Member, Other ORR Grant Recipients, and NCTTP Member

Administration Resources

Resources for practitioners in operations and administration who are serving survivors of torture are as follows: development, integrated care, evaluation, technology, training, working with interpreters, and self-care.

305 Resources Available

Browse all Administration Resources

Program Evaluation Resources

Resources for all staff serving survivors of torture to use program evaluation to set the direction of the program, assess the impact of their work, and improve care. For those with dedicated Evaluation and/or Data Management staff, there is a Roadmap to Data Analysis series for an introduction to inferential statistics and Client Data Toolkit series on identifying and implementing a client data management system for your organizational needs.

70 Resources Available

Browse all Program Evaluation Resources

Fundamentals: Introduction to Program Evaluation

Available to ELearning Subscriber, Full Member, Other ORR Grant Recipients, and NCTTP Member

Children

Integrated Health – Mental Health and Primary Care Collaboration
by
Sara Bracewell
in
Case Management Basics, Children, Children, Children, Children and Torture, Common medical conditions, Community engagement, Components of the Evaluation, Documentation, Expert witness testimony, Expert witness testimony, Families and caregivers, Families and caregivers, Families and caregivers, Family strengthening interventions, Individual Psychotherapy, Medical, Mental Health, Role of the Mental Health Professional, Social Services, Supporting client during asylum process, Trauma, Trauma, Treatment Approaches, Webinar, Working with experts, Writing effective affidavits, Writing effective affidavits
90 Minutes
All levels
0 Lessons
0 Quizzes
0 Students
The National Capacity Building (NCB) Project at the Center for Victims of Torture and the Harvard Program in Refugee Trauma […]
Free
Read more
Hope: Trauma-Informed Care Schooling for Displaced Children Globally
by
Sara Bracewell
in
Children, Children, Children, Children and Torture, Medical, Mental Health, Trauma & PTSD, Ukraine, Ukraine, Ukraine, Webinar
100 Minutes
All levels
0 Lessons
0 Quizzes
0 Students
Description This webinar, held on May 15, 2025, was sponsored by the Office of Refugee Resettlement and facilitated by the […]
Free
Read more
Services in Support of Children of Survivors
by
Sara Bracewell
in
Children, Children, Children and Torture, Mental Health, Pediatric and adolescent services, Social Services, Webinar
41 Minutes
All levels
0 Lessons
0 Quizzes
0 Students
During the 2024 ORR Survivor of Torture Recipient Meeting, held in Washington, DC on March 20th, 2024 there were three […]
Free
Read more
Reimaginings: Storytelling and Poetry for Navigating Loss and Hope
by
Mitchell Katayama
in
Administration, Children, Children, Children and Torture, Mental Health, Organizational development, Social Services, Staff Training, Webinar
74 Minutes
All levels
0 Lessons
0 Quizzes
0 Students
Description: This presentation, by Merna Hecht, MA is an excerpt from ORR’s 2022 Survivor of Torture Annual Community of Practice […]
Free
Read more
Family Based Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Services
by
Mitchell Katayama
in
Children, Children, Family strengthening interventions, Integrative Care, Mental Health, ORR trainings and reporting, Social Services, Webinar
1 Hour
All levels
0 Lessons
0 Quizzes
0 Students
Description: In this presentation, Mary Bunn takes a broader look at some of the family-based mental health models that emerged […]
Free
Read more