The 5th National Conference on Health Issues in the Arab American Community
Post-Conference Workshop I:
Mental Health (Victims of Torture & Refugees): The Many Faces of Trauma
Friday, November 7, 2008

People forcibly displaced by war, political repression, disasters and other conflicts experience a high rate of psychological disturbance including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression. Socioeconomic disadvantages, marginalization, acculturation difficulties, discrimination, and poor social support adversely impact immigrants and refugee mental health. This workshop will deliver the following:

 

Objectives:

• To explore the effects of trauma and the recent developments in PTSD research.
• To examine innovative assessment and treatment practices with trauma and torture survivors
• To enhance understanding of migration and displacement experiences of refugees and victims of torture

ACCESS Center for Psychosocial Rehabilitation:
The Center provides multicultural, multilingual, comprehensive services to survivors of torture from different ethnic and national backgrounds. Survivors of torture suffer from serious problems, including post-traumatic stress disorder, and health and mental health problems that affect their daily lives. Torture is a worldwide epidemic that violates the principles of human rights and justice. At least one-third of refugees are survivors of torture.

AGENDA

8:30 am	Registration and Breakfast
9:30 am	Welcoming Remarks Adnan Hammad, PhD Director, ACCESS Community Health and Research Center Workshop Overview
9:45 am	Introduction to Session
Moderator:	Jocelyn Vanda, Acting Director, Office of Special Services and Executive Assistant to the Director, Family Independence Agency, Office of Refugee Resettlement David H. Siegel Acting Director Office of Refugee Resettlement ORR Perspective on Refugee Health in the U.S.A with Emphasis on the New Influx of Iraqi’s
10:15 am	Beverly Watts-Davis, MS Senior Advisor to Administrator Center for Substance Abuse Prevention, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Perspective on Mental Health and Substance Abuse in Ethnic Minorities, Opportunities & Challenges
10:45 am	Break
11:00 am	Keynote Speaker Abdul Hamid Afana, PhD President, International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims President, Jesoor for Trauma Recovery Gaza City, Gaza Strip Reflections on Torture and War Against Terrorism: Professionals’ Roles and Practices
12:00 pm	Lunch Break
1:00 pm	Mary Fabri, PsyD Senior Director, Heartland Alliance Marjorie Kovler Center                             President, National Consortium of Torture Treatment Programs Cultural Adaptation of Psychological Treatment Models to Serve Post-Conflict Populations
2:45 pm	Break
3:00 pm	Conclusions and Lessons Learned Mary Fabri, PsyD Senior Director, Heartland Alliance Marjorie Kovler Center President, National Consortium of Torture Treatment Programs
3:30pm	Panel Open Discussion, Questions and Answers
Moderator:	Nancy Wrobel, PhD, Associate Professor and Chair, Department of Behavioral Science, University of Michigan Dearborn   International Abdul Hamid Afana, PhD, President, International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims President, Jesoor for Trauma Recovery Gaza City , Gaza Strip Mary Fabri, PsyD, Senior Director, Heartland Alliance Marjorie Kovler Center President, National Consortium of Torture Treatment Programs
5:00 pm	Conference Summation/Recommendations/Concluding Remarks

This workshop is supported by the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), The Center for Victims of Torture (CVT) and the United Nations (UN) and the Detroit Wayne County Mental Health Agency..