FROM DIVISION 56, 35, 52, 55
INTERDIVISIONAL WEBINAR SERIES
This FREE skills building webinar series is being hosted by Division 56 Trauma Psychology of the American Psychological Association in collaboration with the co-sponsoring Divisions. The webinar will be followed by an opportunity to ask the presenters questions. The Refugee Mental Health Resource Network project is funded in part by a CODAPAR grant.
JOIN US FOR OUR SEPTEMBER WEBINAR
OF THE REFUGEE MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCE NETWORK:
The Refugee Crisis: Understanding and Addressing the Mental Health Needs of Families and Children Displaced by Armed Conflict
Kenneth E. Miller, PhD
This skill building webinar will take a more in-depth look at the effects of armed conflict on civilians with a focus on children and effective interventions in dealing with the various stressors. This webinar was scheduled in response to the request for information by those who were not able to attend the APA Convention in Washington DC and/or were not able to attend the invited address given by Dr. Kenneth Miller. The first portion of the webinar will be introductory remarks and an update for participation in the Refugee Mental Health Resource Network Database by Dr. Carll to be followed by the presentation by Dr. Miller.
Early research on the mental health of civilians displaced by armed conflict focused primarily on the direct effects of exposure to war-related violence and loss. Largely overlooked in this war exposure model were the powerful effects of ongoing stressors related to the experience of displacement itself. An ecological model of refugee distress is proposed, drawing on research demonstrating that distress among refugees and asylum seekers stems not only from prior war exposure, but also from a host of ongoing stressors in their current social environment. Implications of this model for addressing the mental health and psychosocial needs of refugees and other displaced populations will be discussed with a focus on children. Examples will be presented that demonstrate the growing influence of this ecological framework on the design and implementation of interventions with refugees and asylum seekers, in low and middle income countries as well as in higher income nations.
Elizabeth Carll, PhD is president of the APA Trauma Psychology Division and chairs the Refugee Mental Health Resource Network, an APA Interdivisional Project. She serves on the executive committee and is a former chair of the UN NGO Committee on Mental Health and consults to organizations and individuals in developing crisis management programs and trauma intervention services.
Kenneth E. Miller, PhD is a researcher and writer based in Amsterdam. He works with the Dutch organization War Child Holland, developing and evaluating mental health interventions for war-affected communities. He’s published numerous studies on war and mental health. His new book is entitled War Torn: Stories of Courage, Love, and Resilience (Larson, 2016).
Wed., Sept. 27, 2017, 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm Eastern
Register at https://divisions.wufoo.com/forms/q1ft3x3s09sfr5m/