Understanding Refugee and Asylum Seeker Mental Health
Understanding Refugee and Asylum Seeker Mental Health” provides a comprehensive exploration of the mental health challenges faced by refugees and asylum seekers. Through this course, participants will gain insights into the unique stressors and traumas experienced by individuals forced to flee their homes, seeking refuge in unfamiliar environments.
The curriculum delves into the psychological impacts of displacement, cultural adjustment, and the various factors influencing mental well-being in these populations. Participants will develop a nuanced understanding of effective strategies for supporting and promoting mental health within the context of refugee and asylum seeker communities.
Understanding Refugee and Asylum Seeker Mental Health
Asylum
AidAsylum Aid offers free legal advice and representation to the most vulnerable and excluded asylum seekers, and lobby and campaign for a fairer asylum system based on inviolable human rights principles.
Asylum Help
Asylum Help offers free independent advice and guidance to asylum seekers across the UK in different languages. www.asylumhelpuk.org
Asylum Matters
Asylum Matters works with local partners to improve the lives of refugees and asylum seekers through social and political change. www.asylummatters.org
Asylum Support Appeals Project (ASAP)
Asylum Support Appeals Project (ASAP) provide free legal advice and support for asylum seekers’ support hearings as well as training.
Bail for Immigration Detainees (BID)
Bail for Immigration Detainees (BID) provides legal advice and representation to immigrants in removal centres as well as advocating fro change. Free advice line is open 020 7456 9750.
Baobab Centre for Young Survivors in Exile
Baobab Centre for Young Survivors in Exile works with young refugees, under 25 providing individual and group psychotherapy, activities and a community to which they belong.
British Red Cross
British Red Cross offers advice, casework support, groups, short term emergency support, Family Reunion and an International Tracing and Message Service.
City of Sanctuary
City of Sanctuary is a movement committed to building a culture of hospitality and welcome, or refugees seeking sanctuary www.cityofsanctuary.org
Detention Action
Detention Action supports people in UK detention centres and campaigns on their behalf.
Freedom from Torture
Freedom from Torture provides medical consultation, forensic documentation of torture and psychological therapies to adults, children, young people and families affected by torture and organised violence.
Helen Bamber Foundation
Helen Bamber Foundation provides therapeutic care, medical consultation, legal protection and practical support to survivors of human rights violations.
Medical Justice
Medical Justice aims to defend and promote the health rights and associated legal rights, of immigration detainees in the UK; and to end the medical abuse of detainees and the damaging effects of immigration detention on their health.
Migrant Help
Migrant Help offers advice and support to asylum seekers, particularly with issues to do with accommodation and support in multiple languages. Free Helpline 08088010503
Rape Crisis England & Wales
Rape Crisis England & Wales is a national charity and the umbrella body for a network of independent member Rape Crisis organisations.
Refugee Action
Refugee Action helps asylum seekers and refugees rebuild their lives. Advice, advocacy and various projects.
Refugee Council
Refugee Council works with refugees and people seeking asylum in the UK through practical support, advice and therapeutic services. They also offer information and training to people working with refugees and asylum seekers.
Refugee Support Network
Refugee Support Network helps young refugees and survivors of trafficking to build more hopeful futures through education.
Right to Remain
Right to Remain provide up to date and accurate information about immigration and asylum issues useful toolkit and videos.
The Children’s Society
The Children’s Society works with refugee and asylum-seeking children and young people across the UK.
Solace Surviving Exile and Persecution
Solace Surviving Exile and Persecution is a specialist therapeutic service for refugees and asylum seekers in Yorkshire and Humberside offering a range of therapies as well as training. For helpful resources including several short films about their work and techniques for self-help, see www.solace-uk.org.uk
The UK Lesbian & Gay Immigration Group (UKLGIG)
The UK Lesbian & Gay Immigration Group (UKLGIG) is a charity that promotes equality and dignity for lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and intersex (LGBTI) people who seek asylum in the UK, or who wish to immigrate here to be with their same-sex partner.
United Nations High Commission for Refugees
United Nations High Commission for Refugees leads and co-ordinates international action to protect refugees and resolve refugee problems worldwide.
A warm welcome!
This online course is designed for learners with little or no knowledge of the UK’s asylum process and the issues that people seeking asylum in the UK face.
In this short film, Solace CEO Kathryn Ashworth welcomes you to the course
By completing the 6 modules, you will build your awareness and understanding to help you consider ways that you as an individual, in any role, can support those who have fled to safety in the UK – and in turn how you can influence those in your organisation to do the same.
With this shared learning it is our intention that together we can create a national network of informed individuals and services to offer the most compassionate and impactful wellbeing support for those who are seeking asylum in the UK.
Essential Introduction
You can work through the modules at your own pace – as a guide we suggest completing one module per week over a 6 week period. You can navigate around the module from the main menu, or the right hand menu.
There are 3 steps to each module:
- In each module, watch the recorded tutorial video at the start. This tutorial contains all the required learning for the module.
- Following the video, you will see lessons which highlight key points from the film. These are intended to be:
- helpful for those who learn best through written content.
- a point of reference should you need to revisit or quote the information.
- helpful for you to absorb and retain the learning.
- And perhaps most important of all, please watch the client films at the end of each module – where you will hear directly from people with personal experience of the asylum system and the mental health challenges they have faced.
Learning Objectives
Here is what you can achieve on completion of the course.
- Have an understanding of the global refugee and UK context.
- Knowledge of the reasons why people flee their homes to seek sanctuary elsewhere.
- Knowledge of what might be involved in reaching a place of safety.
- Understanding of the emotional health and wellbeing difficulties asylum seekers may suffer, and the factors that impact it.
- Understand how it is possible to support asylum seekers who suffer with poor physical and mental health.
- Know how to access professional therapeutic support.
- Develop an awareness of related issues that impact the experience of people seeking asylum.
This course stands alone, but a second therapeutic focused course is available:
- This first course will give you the basics you need to understand the experience of those seeking asylum and an introduction to some practical things you can do to help manage stress.
- A follow up second course, should you choose to continue your learning, contains in-depth modules on specific topics to help you to strengthen a therapeutic practice.
Meet the Tutors
Anne Burghgraef, Clinical Director for Solace, is the co-author and presenter of this course.As one of the early founders of Solace, Anne has many years’ experience of working therapeutically with people in the asylum system as well as working with partner organisations in the forced migration sector.
Later, in module 3, you will meet fellow Solace therapist Fiona Lothian. Fiona is an integrative psychotherapist, with over 20 years’ experience of working with abuse and trauma. She brings with her a background of teaching drama and using the creative arts to explore issues in therapy.