The Right to Rehabilitation Beirut, Lebanon 2013 Refugees and Asylum Seekers In the United States Karen Hanscom PhD Advocates for Survivors of Torture and Trauma (ASTT) www.astt.org
Dec 14, 2015
The Right to Rehabilitation
Beirut, Lebanon 2013
Refugees and Asylum Seekers
In the United States
Karen Hanscom PhD
Advocates for Survivors of Torture
and Trauma (ASTT) www.astt.org
1.Refugees & Asylum Seekers in the US
2.Refugee Benefits
3.Asylum Seekers in the US
a) Detention b) no govt. services
4.Torture Rehabilitation in the U.S.
Torture Victim Relief Act
National Consortium
5.ASTT’s Treatment Program
Total: 115,000 62,000 Refugees
40,000 Asylees + Cuban/Haitians500 Trafficing Survivors
New Arrivals in U.S.
Top 10 countries of OriginBhutan (15,000)
Burma (14,000)
Cuba
Iraq
Somalia
Democratic Republic of Congo
Iran
Eritrea
Sudan
Ethiopia
Who is a “Refugee”
1 - From outside the U.S.
2 – Special humanitarian
concern to the U.S.
3 – Demonstrate persecution
or fear of persecution
(race, religion, political
opinion, nationality,
membership in a social gr.
Refugee Benefits
•Education (under 18 same free educ. - access to Univ. as US citizens•Resettlement Services
(1st 3 mo. Clothes, food etc.)
•Public Assistance (Cash and Medical Treatment
•Employment Benefits (work authorization
Refugees
After 1 year: eligible to become
permanent U.S. residents
After 5 years: can petition for
citizenship
Spouse and any unmarried minors automatically receive refugee status
Asylum Seekers
Have fled to the United States and enter the country.
then apply for political asylum.
After granted asylum, are called refugees
Some arrive with Visas.
Others do not.
429,000
Asylum Seeker Benefits
Torture Treatment in the U.S.
Torture Victim Relief Act (TVRA)National Consortium of Torture
Treatment Programs (NCTTP)
*Capacity to Serve 5-6,000 of the estimate 400,000 torture survivors in the U.S.
* 34 NCTTP Members in 15
States and Washington, DC
* Of these - 24 comprehensive
torture treatment programs
*5 legal or other programs
* 1 torture survivor organization
Sources of Funding
* Torture Victim Relief Act Funds
distributed by the Office of Refugee
Resettlement
* Other Federal Funding (very limited)
* UNVFVT
* State Grants
* Foundations
* Corporations
* Individual Donations
Advocates for Survivors of Torture and Trauma
(ASTT)Washington DC and Baltimore,
Maryland* Case Management
Referrals: Legal, Medical, Housing,
Food, English Classes …
* Psychosocial Groups & Activities
* Psychological Treatment
Individual and Group
* Evaluations & Expert Court Testimony
Survey of National Consortium of Torture Treatment Programs Therapists about the Assessment, Diagnosis, and Treatment of the Psychological Sequelae of Torture
Scott Vrana, Thomas Campbell & Russ Clay
Traumatology 19(2) 144-153. 2013
* 17 therapists from 10 centers
* 21 center directors
* Therapist Survey (online)
Semi-structured phone interview
Note: During the study 2 centers closed due to lack of funding.
Some of the Findings
1) Psychological Assessment: Most respondents used a combination of:
interview (usually non-structured);
and assessment tools - the most common being: Hopkins Symptom Checklist and the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire.
2) Therapists clearly stated the need for more resources to conduct research to advance the field.
3) Therapists agreed that the psychological, social, legal, medical and economic aspects of a client’s functioning were intertwined and need to be considered together.