Immigrant, Refugee, & Migrant Mental Health
February 12, 2020
We were lucky to have Dr. Joan Simalchik, the Director of the Women and Gender Studies Program at the University of Toronto, as our speaker. She previously worked as a founding executive director of the Canadian Centre for Victims of Torture for 10 years before returning to the academy. During this time she chaired the OCASI (Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants) Policy Committee. She then was the Canadian member of the International Council for Torture Victims based in Denmark and a consulting body for the UN. She has also worked with the UN Voluntary Fund for Torture Victims in Geneva on developing policy for service provision.
Dr. Simalchik shared some of the ways that the mental health of immigrants, refugees, and migrants is affected as they move countries.
Some of the things discussed in this workshop were:
Dr. Simalchik shared some of the ways that the mental health of immigrants, refugees, and migrants is affected as they move countries.
Some of the things discussed in this workshop were:
- How might socioeconomic status, gender, geographic region, and other factors affect mental health of these groups?
- How does the narrative differ across different cultures in terms of mental health? How does cultural acceptance of mental health influence care?
- How might generational differences affect mental health outcomes?
- What systemic barriers might people face in accessing services or support?
- How does the narrative differ across different cultures in terms of mental health? How does cultural acceptance of mental health influence care?
Canada & Immigration Detention
November 13, 2019
We were joined by Stephanie J. Silverman, a Research Associate at the Centre for Refugee Studies at our first Case Study Workshop of the year on November 13, 2019.
Stephanie walked us through what immigration detention is, providing some key figures and statistics along with cases of immigration detention to help us understand what it is.
Some questions discussed throughout the workshop were:
Stephanie walked us through what immigration detention is, providing some key figures and statistics along with cases of immigration detention to help us understand what it is.
Some questions discussed throughout the workshop were:
- What are some alternatives to immigration detention?
- How can we make immigration detention a "better" experience and not "detention"?
- What happens to children born in immigration detention?
- Where are people held?
- What's the point of immigration detention?
- What kinds of policies govern this process? Who decides on them?
