National Refugee and Migrant Behavioral Health Technical Assistance Center (TAC) - Southwest Key Programs, Inc. (SWK) will establish the National Refugee and Migrant Behavioral Health Technical Assistance Center (TAC) to build provider capacity to serve refugee and migrant populations with behavioral health (BH) conditions (the FP) throughout the U.S. The most critical barrier to serving the FP is that relatively few providers who first come into contact with the FP have the training or experience to recognize a BH condition, especially when such conditions might be masked by cultural and/or linguistic issues. Providing TA to providers working with the FP to help those receiving services understand and communicate with BH staff and barriers to accessibility and utilization of BH and other social services is essential. SWK will establish a TAC to equip BH, healthcare, and other social providers with the tools to deliver culturally sensitive, equity-based, recovery-oriented, and trauma-informed services to the FP with BH conditions, resulting in improved mental well-being and naturalization outcomes.
The U.S. is seeing dramatic growth in new migrants (including refugees), resulting in a public health crisis for providers serving the FP. In 2022, the U.S. received more refugees in the first eight months of 2023 than any year since 2017 (MPI, 2023). The total foreign-born population in the U.S. hit 47.9 million in September 2022-a record high in American history-and an increase of 2.9 million since January 2021 (Center for Immigration Studies, CIS, 2022). Marked differences exist in the demographics between U.S. refugee and migrant populations.
High exposure to traumatic events reported by the FP encapsulates the heightened risk for trauma disorders. The FP are self-reporting extreme poverty, exposure to community violence, natural disasters, unpaid salaries, limited institutional supports, forced labor, and legal issues. These experiences and the stress of naturalization lead to higher risks of BH conditions and increased suicide risk. The TAC will equip providers who work with the FP with BH conditions with the skills to address the complex confluence of cultural, linguistic, and BH issues that characterize this population. The TAC goals and objectives are aligned with this need to effectively implement the 10 Required Activities necessary to enhance provider capacity to serve the FP. The TAC goals and measurable objectives include: 1. Develop and Maintain an Advisory Board (AB) that lends its collective and individual professional expertise and/or lived experience to provide guidance on the priorities and work plan of the TAC. 2. Conduct a Needs Assessment to inform SWK re: initial deployment /future direction of TA services /resources. 3. Complete a Literature Review to inform TA with the most current knowledge on service to the FP. 4. Create a Strategy and Marketing Plan (SMP) to maximize the program’s reach to providers serving FP. 5. Create and Implement a Clinical Case Consultation (CCC) Service to enhance BH treatment of FP. 6. Create Interactive Online Learning Modules (OLMs) to disseminate current knowledge on service to FP. 7. Establish Learning Communities (LCs) with interactive, synchronous interchange of ideas among experts. 8. Provide Targeted TA and Coaching to enhance organizational capacity to effectively serve FP. 9. Develop Partnerships & Services Directory to enhance capacity of Providers to refer FP for services. 10. Develop TAC website as repository of knowledge, services, and resources for FP service providers.
With award funds, SWK will provide TA to 840 unduplicated individuals in Year 1; 1,680 in Year 2; 1,761 in Year 3; 1,846 in Year 4; and 1,935 in Year 5; for a total of 7,852 unduplicated individuals to receive TA through the TAC.
