If the past several months of discussion and action around supporting immigrants and refugees in Philly has shown us anything, it’s that the city wants to help in as many ways as possible.
Whether that’s by providing collective legal counsel or helping newly arrived immigrant professionals transition to familiar careers, socially minded groups and individuals are certainly doing their part to help these populations.
Yet it can’t be understated that many immigrants and refugees, especially those who are forced to leave their war-torn homes or have even experienced domestic abuse and human trafficking, are dealing with immense emotional and mental distress. Even with the resources that are slowly being made more available, the transitional issues that come with trying to adjust to life in a new country — financial and employment difficulties, hardships with the school system, access to healthcare — are a whole other beast for these groups.
Fortunately, nonprofits and organizations in Philly are starting to address this need for immigrant- and refugee-centered mental health services. Council for Relationships (CFR), a nonprofit that focuses on family-focused therapy for their clients as well as post-graduate therapy training for master’s students, recently started working with the Nationalities Service Center (NSC) to provide pro-bono services via interns and students for its clients, all of whom are refugees and immigrants.
To read the full article by Albert Hong, click here.
Comments (0)