Holistic Assessment of Refugee Populations: A Multidisciplinary Assessment and Short-Form Profile

Haley L. GearwarFollow

Conference Year

January 2020

Abstract

In 2005, Fazel et al. determined that refugees are more likely to be diagnosed with PTSD than their Western counterparts. Additionally, refugees often experience ongoing physical, social, and legal challenges. Given their potential need for multidisciplinary services, advancements are critical in the assessment and triage of clients to appropriate providers. Multidisciplinary assessment allows clinicians to identify multidisciplinary client needs that may otherwise be missed during routine mental health assessment. A multidisciplinary assessment protocol was developed by psychologists, graduate students, and cultural liaisons with the goal of providing comprehensive assessment to area refugees. Information collected during the assessment is used to write a Multidisciplinary Assessment Profile (MAP), which can be shared with individuals and their providers. The assessment protocol includes measures of demographic information, torture experiences, mental health symptomology, chronic pain, legal need, social support, partner conflict, and substance use. The assessment is designed to be conducted by psychologists, graduate students, and social workers. Thirty resettled refugees completed the assessment and were connected with appropriate multidisciplinary services. Means and standard deviations are presented for demographic information. A sample MAP is presented. The feasibility, benefits, and drawbacks of implementing a multidisciplinary assessment approach in a community mental health center are discussed.

Primary Faculty Mentor Name

Karen Fondacaro, PhD

Graduate Student Mentors

Holly Weldon

Faculty/Staff Collaborators

Karen Fondacaro, PhD (Collaborating Mentor); Holly Weldon (Graduate Student Mentor)

Status

Undergraduate

Student College

College of Arts and Sciences

Program/Major

Psychological Science

Primary Research Category

Arts & Humanities

Abstract only.

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Holistic Assessment of Refugee Populations: A Multidisciplinary Assessment and Short-Form Profile

In 2005, Fazel et al. determined that refugees are more likely to be diagnosed with PTSD than their Western counterparts. Additionally, refugees often experience ongoing physical, social, and legal challenges. Given their potential need for multidisciplinary services, advancements are critical in the assessment and triage of clients to appropriate providers. Multidisciplinary assessment allows clinicians to identify multidisciplinary client needs that may otherwise be missed during routine mental health assessment. A multidisciplinary assessment protocol was developed by psychologists, graduate students, and cultural liaisons with the goal of providing comprehensive assessment to area refugees. Information collected during the assessment is used to write a Multidisciplinary Assessment Profile (MAP), which can be shared with individuals and their providers. The assessment protocol includes measures of demographic information, torture experiences, mental health symptomology, chronic pain, legal need, social support, partner conflict, and substance use. The assessment is designed to be conducted by psychologists, graduate students, and social workers. Thirty resettled refugees completed the assessment and were connected with appropriate multidisciplinary services. Means and standard deviations are presented for demographic information. A sample MAP is presented. The feasibility, benefits, and drawbacks of implementing a multidisciplinary assessment approach in a community mental health center are discussed.