Creating supportive environments
The following focus on providing relevant and accessible information about mental health and mental illness, how to access mental health services and ways to address the stigma toward mental illness.
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These services address the specialized needs of immigrants and refugees:
- Family counselling
- Other counselling and support groups
- Mental health organizations
- Health programs for survivors of torture and trauma
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These services help immigrants and refugees connect to the societies they have settled in:
- Advocacy
- Translation and interpretation
- Host programs (and training)
- Volunteer programs (and training) integration programs
Featured resources
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B.C. Partners for Mental Health and Addictions Information
This coalition of seven agencies worked together to create the Here to Help website, which provides information about mental health promotion initiatives. Although Here to Help does not focus exclusively on immigrants and refugees, a significant number of resources are dedicated to the mental health needs of these groups.
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Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
Culture Counts: A Roadmap to Health Promotion Best Practices for Developing Health Promotion Initiatives in Mental Health and Substance Use with Ethnocultural Communities aims to identify a best practices approach to health promotion in mental health and substance use with ethnocultural communities. It also considers how programs can address the needs of people from different cultural and linguistic backgrounds.
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Canadian Mental Health Association:
The Opening Doors Project uses unique story-telling techniques in presenting workshops to agencies and the community, which are “aimed at strengthening, fostering and cultivating healthier communities in Ontario. It is particularly beneficial to newcomers to Canada, mental health survivors and mental health professionals.”
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Mental Health Commission of Canada
Mental Health First Aid is a training program designed to help individuals who are developing a mental health problem or illness, dealing with worsened mental health problems or illnesses, or in a mental health crisis. This first aid training is “given until appropriate support is found or until the crisis is resolved” and has multiple versions depending on the target population (e.g., seniors, youth, First Nations, veterans…etc.)
Strengthening community action
Supporting mental health and well-being by creating culturally responsive social support groups helps foster a sense of engagement and connection. These support groups also help promote mental wellness and illness prevention.
The following resources help communities adapt to immigrants and refugees:
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Public education
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Cross-cultural and antiracism training
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Programs to help mainstream service providers integrate immigrant and refugee programs to promote organizational change and development (CCR, 1998) (UNHCR, n.d).
The REACH Multicultural Family Centre employs frontline workers who are trusted members of the communities they serve. The workers deliver culturally responsive programs. In addition, the centre hosts a number of culturally diverse community groups aimed at enhancing the social ties of newcomers.