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

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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.

471 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.

114 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.

471 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.

114 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

Torture Assessment and Treatment: The Wraparound Approach

Original Publication Date: May 10, 2012

Last Updated: March 27, 2023

Estimated Read Time: < 1 minute

Kira, Ibrahim Aref (2002), Traumatology, 8:54-86

The paper explores the dimensions of torture trauma, its assessment and treatment. The author proposes a multi-systemic wraparound approach that proved its success with different kinds of cumulative traumas and which has been modified to fit torture treatment.

Abstract

The paper explores the dimensions of torture trauma, its assessment and treatment. Simple PTSD does not account for the potential effects of torture. I propose a modified model of complex PTSD or cumulative trauma disorders that describes more the effects of torture. Most of the current evidence-based treatments for PTSD do not work with torture. A wraparound approach that proved its success with different kinds of cumulative traumas has been modified to fit torture treatment. Wraparound is multi-systemic and ecologically valid. It is conducted by community treatment teams that include community liaison and therapeutic case management teams. They provide community support and networking as well as direct treatment to the survivor and his family members. Social support is an important component of the wraparound process.

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Additional Resources