At Immigration Psychology Services, we believe that to improve the well-being of immigrants and refugees in the US, it is important not just to provide services to immigrants and refugees directly, but to educate students, professionals, and the general public about immigrant mental health.  This helps foster understanding and collaboration in our community and improves our capacity to provide culturally competent health care.  Below is a sampling of community education programming that we provide. 

For students

  • Introduction to Immigration Psychology
  • Common Mental Health Concerns among Immigrants & Refugees
  • Careers in International Psychology

xuThanks to the Center for Mission and Identity at Xavier University and Xavier University’s Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, Dr. Vredeveld provided a three-part lecture series on immigrant and refugee mental health for Xavier University’s doctoral psychology students in the fall of 2016.

 

 

As part of Xavier University’s Mission Animator’s project, Dr. Angie Vredeveld presented a three-part series on immigrant and refugee mental health. The lectures were structured using a developmental, sequenced approach that started with foundational concepts and culminated in review of the direct service roles psychologists can play with these populations.  As someone who had limited knowledge about the issues and service needs facing immigrants and refugees, I appreciated both the framework and content. The series exposed me to issues and concerns I had not been aware existed and stimulated my thinking about the nature of psychological work with immigrant and refugee populations. Dr. Vredeveld is an engaging and enthusiastic speaker and I highly recommend the series to both licensed professionals and psychologists-in-training. Graduate students early in their training may particularly benefit from learning about the professional opportunities associated with immigrants and refugees as such knowledge has the possibility to inspire career-path decisions.

– Susan L. Kenford, Ph.D., Director of Clinical Training, School of Psychology, Xavier University

For general audiences

  • Introduction to Trauma for Community Members Working with Immigrants & Refugees

A 1.5 hour overview of trauma and basic counseling skills for community members working with immigrants and refugees. Participants learn to identify posttraumatic stress reactions and other mental health issues, learn tips on how to talk with clients about psychological distress, and identify mental health providers in the Cincinnati area who are competent in working with immigrant populations.

Where we’ve provided training:

Islamic Center of Greater Cincinnati, Rahma Community Services (volunteer orientation)

Transformations CDC (staff & community health workers)

St. Leo’s Church (staff & community health workers)

For professional audiences

  • Psychological Evaluations for Immigration Court (for legal & psychology audiences)
  • Re-entry Stress in Humanitarian Workers
  • Cultural Sensitivity Training (for businesses, healthcare providers, and law enforcement)