immigrant-refugee-newcomer

Around the world at least 79.5 million people have been forced to flee their homes. Among them are nearly 26 million refugees, around half of whom are under the age of 18.

When it comes to mental health, refugee and migrant populations face a number of specific barriers to care. While the prevalence and types of mental health conditions experienced differ widely between populations, including individuals who have been detained, survivors of torture, and young families, rates of poor mental health are often found to be higher than in the general population.

Promising Practices in Accessing Virtual Mental Health: Supporting Refugees during COVID-19  is a national research project currently inviting refugee newcomers to participate in virtual interviews about their access to formal virtual support for emotional or social well-being.

Formal virtual support means support provided online or by phone by a professional or agency (for example, in support groups or individual sessions with social workers, physicians, counsellors, or other mental health professionals).

The Ontario College of Family Physicians is happy to introduce Practicing Well, a new resource to support family doctors in providing the best possible care for patients with their mental health disorders, substance use, and chronic pain.

Practicing Well has three components: 1) a Community of Practice, 2) Information Exchange, and 3) Peer-to-Peer Connect.

Bay Area Workers Support has just released a new guide, COVID19 Harm Reduction for Sex Workers. This practical and easy-to-read guide was co-created by sex workers and medical students to increase access to information on how to reduce the risk for transmission of COVID-19 during sex work.

Join our panel of experts from Ontario and BC to learn about access to virtual mental health care for refugees and other newcomers to Canada, during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.

Topics will include barriers to access and the strategies service providers can use to overcome them. Presentations will be followed by a Q&A period.

Presenters:

Register for this free event here.

Register for the free event here.

• Are you 18 years of age or older?
• Did you come to Canada as a Refugee from Afghanistan, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Eritrea, Somalia, or Syria in the last 15 years?
• Do you currently reside in British Columbia (BC), Alberta (AB), Ontario (ON) or Quebec (QC)?
• Are you comfortable speaking and reading in English?
• Do you have access to internet and a computer?
• Do you have experience with mental health care in the community, either through personal or family member engagemen

The Lancet Psychiatry, Mental Health Innovation Network, MHPSS and United for Global Mental Health have launched a series of weekly webinars designed to provide policy makers and the wider health community with the latest evidence on the impact of COVID-19 on mental health and how to address it.

Evidence shows that mental health problems and illnesses can be a serious issue for older immigrants within their first few years of arrival to Canada. This webinar, hosted by the Immigrant and Refugee Mental Health Project (IRMHP), will outline promising practices for addressing the unique settlement, integration and mental health needs of older immigrants and refugees.

You will also have the opportunity to ask Baldev Mutta, Found and CEO of Punjabi Community Health Services, questions about your work.

Date and Time

Wed, June 10, 2020

Les personnes immigrantes et réfugiées sont plus à risque que la population générale de présenter des enjeux psychologiques. En plus, l'évidence nous montre que le contexte de pandémie peut aggraver leur détresse psychologique. Alors comment peut-on les soutenir pendant la pandémie ?
Rejoignez-nous pour une session d'expert avec Professeure Ghayda Hassan. Vous aurez l'occasion de soumettre des questions sur votre travail avec les immigrants et les réfugiés dans le contexte de Covid-19 à l'avance ou les poser en directe!

Jeudi le 21 Mai 2020 12:00-13:00 HNE

Do you have questions regarding your work and the mental health of newcomers?

We want to answer them.

No two refugee experiences are the same. Yet, two things that refugee parents have in common are the facts that they are survivors, and the unwavering desire that their children will have a better future.

This webinar explores some of the barriers that many recently-arrived refugee parents confront as they attempt to navigate a school system that is foreign to them. It also identifies some areas where educators and education-sector partners might work to dismantle some of the systemic barriers that these parents face.

Do you have questions regarding your work and the mental health of newcomers?

We want to answer them.

In this webinar, we'll answer the question "what is trauma informed practice?" and provide a brief overview of current literature and practical applications for front line health, settlement and social service providers.

Join us to gain a greater understanding of:

Join UofT Talks on June 20, 2019 from 6-9pm at Innis Town Hall Theatre, for an open discussion about the experiences of migrants in Canada, their journeys through the healthcare system and what we can do to improve.

The event will be hosted by Nicholas Keung, reporter at the Toronto Star and will feature the following speakers:

In this webinar, Amanda Koyama from Calgary Catholic Immigration Society (CCIS) will share the organization's experience of working with newcomer families, including school age children affected by trauma (Syrian and Yazidi Refugees), and the multiple systems that were engaged to enhance the provision of services by community resources outside of the traditional school setting.