Middle Tennessee Refugee Mental Health Network
Mission
Who We Are
We are a mix of social workers, refugee resettlement agency workers, physicians, psychologists, counselors, and more who are deeply invested in the wellbeing of our refugee community in Middle Tennessee.
Our Goals
Network
Build a network of partnerships with mental health providers and service organizations in Middle TN who have the capacity to provide high quality mental health services to refugees. Some example criteria include:
- Providers develop working relationships with refugee resettlement agency case managers
- Providers have trauma-informed and cultural humility training
- Providers hold valid licenses in TN with mental health-related degrees (LCSW, LMFT, LPC-MHSP, PsyD, LMSW, PhD, MD)
- Provider offices have referral, intake, and scheduling processes that are user-friendly for refugees
- Providers accept insurances commonly used by refugees (TennCare, Point Comfort Underwriters) or have affordable/sliding-scale/pro-bono services available
Connect mental health providers to relevant trainings in working with refugees and interpreters or cultural brokers.
Connection to Support Groups and Holistic Healing Opportunities:
Increase awareness of and access to wellness groups relevant to refugees.
Increase awareness of and access to holistic wellness and creative expression opportunities (dance, meditation, creative writing, art therapy) that would benefit the overall mental health of refugees.
Awareness and Capacity Building of Community Organizations:
Increase capacity of community organizations serving refugees to know how to identify signs of mental distress, discuss mental health concerns with refugees from diverse cultural and religious backgrounds, and share resources and referrals to mental health services for refugees.
Activities:
- Tabling at events, speaking at conferences, and community meetings
- Developing criteria and referral pathways for partnerships with high quality mental health services for refugees
- Identifying and/or creating trainings for mental health providers and medical interpreters to build their capacity to provide quality mental health services to refugees
- Identifying and/or creating trainings for community organizations to build their capacity to share resources and referral pathways for refugees’ mental health
Contact
If you are interested in connecting with us, participating in one of our meetings, asking a question, etc.; please do not hesitate to reach out by sending us an email at health@empowernashville.org.
