New Handbook Details Resources for Local Immigrant and Refugee Populations

Center for the Victims of Torture
Tuesday, 1 January 2002

A new resource guide designed to aid organizations that work with Minnesota's immigrant and refugee populations has just been published by The Center For Victims of Torture (CVT).

New Neighbors/Hidden Scars: A Resource Handbook for Working with Refugees Who May Be Torture or War Trauma Survivors will benefit professionals in many sectors of the economy: private employers, health care professionals, educators, and social service providers.

"Minnesota has a very high percentage of immigrants who come as refugees," said Carol White, director of the Minnesota Mainstream Project at CVT. "These new neighbors are coming almost exclusively from war-ravaged countries."

CVT has been training health and social service providers on issues related to torture and war trauma since 1997. While the guidebook provides specific guidance on recognizing and serving torture and war trauma survivors, it can serve as a valuable resource for any organization looking to improve its services to individuals from other cultures and countries.

CVT asked direct service professionals serving traumatized refugees what their greatest needs were. Two key needs were identified: 1) Comprehensive services - many beyond the scope of any one agency's mission and resources. This was particularly true for those awaiting legal residency status in the United States. 2) Written staff training materials (in addition to face-to-face training) for experienced staff and for new staff in high turnover positions. Chapters 1-3 provide basic content on the special legal situation of refugees, the likelihood and implications of torture and war trauma experiences for refugees; and tips for providing effective services to these individuals and communities. Chapter 4 details more than 160 agency resources in the Twin Cities area that can provide services to refugees, from health care to housing to translation. (Future editions will feature resource options in other areas of Minnesota with high refugee populations.)

Some agencies listed in the directory have received training from CVT in working with torture and war trauma survivors. If you are interested in the possibility of face-to-face training for your agency, please contact the Minnesota Mainstream Project at 612-627-4302 or cwhite@cvt.org. Copies of New Neighbors/Hidden Scars: A Resource Handbook for Working with Refugees Who May Be Torture or War Trauma Survivors can be ordered at cost ($20.00) or downloaded free from our web site.

For more information, or to contact Center for the Victims of Torture, see their website at: www.cvt.org