Pd Supporting Newcomer Immigrants And Regugees From Racialized Communities With Mental Health C1

OCASI Conference 2009 Supporting Newcomer Immigrants and Refugees from Racialized Communities with Mental Health Issues November 5, 2009 8:15-11:15 AM

Agenda
8:15 Introduction
About Across Boundaries
Expectations; Goals and Objectives
8:45 What is Mental Health?
What is the understanding of different cultures about mental health?
9:15 Mental health issues experienced by newcomer immigrants and refugees from Racialized communities
9:45 Break
10:00 Early Warning Signs of Mental Health Problems
10:20 Common Mental Disorders
10:30 Case Study: Providing support to people experiencing mental health problems
11:00 Resources in the local communities/ Forging partnerships
11:15 The End

Goals and Objectives
Define mental health
Discuss barriers experienced by refugees and newcomers
Learn early warning signs of mental health problems
Learn new knowledge of common mental disorders
Learn resources in local communities

Introductions
Why are you interested in this workshop?
What are the mental health needs of newcomer immigrants and refugees that you are faced with in your agency?
What have you done to meet these needs?

What Is Mental Health ?
Mental Health – is a state of well-being in which the individual realizes his/her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses in life, can work productively and fruitfully and is able to make a contribution to his/her community.
(World Health Organization)

Problems experienced by refugees which impact their mental health:
Experience social exclusion, social inequality and discrimination.
Discrimination interacts with other social determinants and is experienced as trauma
Major Issues
a) lack of support systems;
b) misplaced family members due to war;
c) family conflict and breakdown;
d) peer pressure from other disenfranchised youth; and
e) systemic and structural discrimination.
f) problems with immigration status

Mental Health Issues Faced by Newcomer Immigrants and Non-Recent Immigrants
Trauma caused by systemic discrimination –racism, sexism, homophobia, xenophobia, etc.
Homelessness (One third of Toronto’s homeless are immigrant)
Underhoused, overcrowding
High rate of mental health problems and alcohol and substance use of homeless non-recent immigrants
In Toronto, 60% of poor families are from Racialized communities
Mood and anxiety disorder, diabetes, heart condition caused by poverty

Immigrants, Non-recent Immigrants
Migrants from Racialized communities earn 40% less than their white counterparts
Suicide attempts are 10 times higher than for citizens not living with poverty
Low self-esteem caused by unemployment or underemployment
Many newcomers live in poverty because they fail to have their credentials recognized and are underemployed

Continuation..
Domestic violence
Youth violence
Social isolation –increased level of sadness and loneliness
Family breakdown
Exposure to toxic and other environmental hazards

Problems experienced by immigrants and refugees in accessing MH services:
3-month wait period for new immigrants to be provided OHIP coverage
Temporary foreign migrant workers have no health benefits even if they are paying taxes
Racialized health disparities caused by social and health policies, conditions and practices

Access…
Lack of culturally competent with anti-oppression skills of service providers and decision makers in the health system
Poor access to affordable housing
Lack of access to information (language barrier)
Inappropriate mental health services and programs
Lack of access to skills training

Access..
Dominance of Eurocentric approach to care
Lack of community engagement in the mental health system
Inappropriate outreach services and programs
Inappropriate health promotion and mental illness prevention programs
Lack of social supports

Early Warning Signs of Mental Health Problems
Anxiety, nervousness
forgetfulness
Inability to experience pleasure
lack of motivation
Feeling slowed down or speeded up
Avoiding others or isolating
Being obsessed with minor issues
Beginning irrational thought pattern
Feeling unconnected to your body
Increased irritability
Increased negativity
Increase in smoking
Increase in gambling

Warning signs…
Aches and pains
Dizziness
Muscle cramping
Excessive sweating
Poor motor coordination with no physical reason
Feeling of discouragement and hopelessness
Substance abuse
Not answering the phone Turning off the phone machine
Overeating/Undereating
Weepiness
Compulsive behaviours

Warning signs
Controlling/manipulative behaviours
Being too quiet
Easily frustrated
Feelings of abandonment and rejection
Taking too much pain medication
Not keeping appointments
Spending money on unneeded items
Impulsivity
Feeling worthless and inadequate
Secretiveness

Common Mental Disorders and Symptoms
Schizophrenia - a failure of the brain’s chemical to function properly
Leads to disjointed ideas, confuse or disconnected thoughts or sounds
Or sensations experienced as real when they only exist in the person’s mind
A combination of some of the following symptoms that exist more than six months: delusions, hallucinations, disrupted thoughts and behaviours, grossly disorganized behaviours
Flattened or blunted affect
No energy

Common Mental Disorders
Bi-Polar Disorder –a medical condition as a result of genetic predisposition in which people have extreme mood swings. The symptoms could be signs of depression or mania.
inflated self importance, delusions or hallucinations
feeling all powerful and destined for greatness
feeling high, excessively optimistic
irritable, aggressive, provocative, intrusive behaviour
Extremely talkative and sociable
Flight of ideas
Inability to concentrate
Pressure of speech, racing
Excessive involvement in pleasurable or high risk activities such as sex
Lacks insight

Common Mental Disorders
Depression – a medical disorder that affects one’s thoughts, feelings, physical health and behaviour.
A depressive episode must have a certain level of severity and a minimum duration of two weeks
- feeling hopeless, sad, discouraged or empty
- Inability to experience pleasure
- Significant weight loss or weight gain
- Insomnia or oversleeping
- anxiety, restlessness, slow speech
- Fatigue
- Strong feelings of worthlessness or guilt
- perceived faults and mistakes
- Memory problem
- suicidal thoughts
- somatic symptoms

Other Mental Disorders
Personality Disorder
Anxiety
Post-Partum Depression
Psychosis
Concurrent Disorder
Addiction
Anorexia
Dual Diagnosis

UNDERSTADING RACISM IN THE MENTAL HEALTH SYSTEM ORGANIZATION IDEAS OF SUPERIORITY SOCIAL NORMS STRUCTURES/SYSTEMS INDIVIDUAL BEHAVIOUR
MENTAL HEALTH SYSTEM
MEDIA
EDUCATION
WORKPLACE POLICES AND PROCEDURES
ATTITUDES
FEELINGS
BELIEFS

WHAT IS AN ANTI-RACISM FRAMEWORK? ANTI-RACISM TRAINING/EDUCATION ANTI-RACISM ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE ANTI-RACISM SERVICE DELIVERY

Pd Supporting Newcomer Immigrants And Regugees From Racialized Communities With Mental Health C1

by ocasiconference on Jan 12, 2010

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