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.