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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Qingwen Xu, Graduate School of Social Work, Boston College, 140 Commonwealth Ave, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467, 617-552-1634, xuq@bc.edu and Denise Pearson, University College, University of Denver, 2197 S. University Blvd., Denver, CO 80208.

From 2001 to 2004, America has resettled about 160 thousands refugees; a substantial number of refugees are children. Refugee children are exposed to numerous risk factors for their disconcerted settlement, including lack of formal education, exposure to violence, forced displacement, and multiple losses. In addition, refugee children are frequently living in a family that is facing multiple difficulties to be incorporated into local communities, and therefore unable and powerless to help their children coping with the resettlement process. Consequently, these factors and challenges would jeopardize refugee children's mental health, set them apart from the mainstream community, and cause further concerns for their overall development. This paper first examines the resettlement program in the United States, and addresses the impact of mental health services (or lack of such services) on refugee children's well-being at their early stage of resettlement. This paper then introduces a community-based parenting empowerment program. Based on several qualitative approaches, including extensive documentation of the parenting empowerment program, observation of refugee children and their parents' activities, and interviews with refugee parents, school teachers, and resettlement agency staffs, the paper provides a snapshot about how different stakeholders could assist refugee children in their adjustment into the new community, support them to cope with the psychological distress during the resettlement, and contribute positively to refugee children's mental well-being. This paper calls for a structured approach from both policy makers and social service practitioners in response to refugee children's needs in professional mental health services.

Learning Objectives:

• Analyze the resettlement program in the United States;
• Discuss the impact of mental health services (or lack of such services) on refugee children’s well-being at their early stage of resettlement;
• Evaluate the role of different stakeholders in assisting refugee children, supporting them to cope with the psychological distress during the resettlement, and contributing positively to refugee children’s mental well-being.

Keywords: Refugees, Child/Adolescent Mental Health

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No