BCPA and VAST invite you
Collaboratively presented by VAST* team, Dr. Minami, and the panel including Dr. Ganesan, Dr. Na and Dr. Elez
- Duration: 3 hours (3 CEs)
- Via Zoom
Schedule
- 9:00 am to 10:35 am - Presentation by VAST
- 10:45 am to 11:30 am - Presentation by Dr. Minami
- 11:35 am to 12:30 pm - Panel Discussion/Q&A facilitated by Dr. Ganesan, VAST staff and Dr. Minami, Dr. Na, Dr. Elez
The presentation will focus on trauma-informed approaches to working with survivors of forced migration and violence.
Specifically, the workshop will highlight the mental health needs and providing culturally informed mental health care to people who have experienced trauma from war and torture. Presenters will provide definition of Torture and the responsibilities of Canadians under the UN Convention Against Torture. Current pathways and timelines for individuals with various legal status, such as, Refugee Claimants and people without documentation will be outlined. Application of trauma-informed approaches will be exemplified through the services and care offered through the Vancouver Association for Survivors of Torture (VAST). In addition, a psychoecological model of healing and reconciliation will be introduced, followed by a multidisciplinary panel discussion.
Learning Objectives:
1. Introducing general mental health and wellness considerations when working with people living with trauma from war and torture.
2. Examining definitions of torture and Canadian responsibilities under the United Nations Convention Against Torture, including the Right to Rehabilitation and documentation protocols for determining if torture has transpired
3. Introducing trauma-informed approaches to working with survivors of forced migration and violence.
4. Addressing cultural considerations of mental health care beyond pathology and over-diagnosis.
5. Discussing psychoecology of healing and reconciliation and consideration of alternative approaches to providing care to refugee populations.
*Vancouver Association for Survivors of Torture (VAST)
In 1986 human rights activists and mental health workers in Vancouver joined together to support an influx of refugees arriving from armed conflicts in South and Central America. Together, they founded the Vancouver Association for Survivors of Torture (VAST), creating what would become Western Canada's refugee mental health hub. Today, VAST works with refugees from more than 100 countries. Our programs and services are offered in more than a dozen languages, including Arabic, Farsi, Ukrainian, Mandarin and Spanish. We support the mental health of refugees who arrive in British Columbia with psychological trauma as a result of torture, political violence and other forms of persecution on the basis of race, religion, gender identity and sexual orientation.
Source: https://www.vastbc.ca/aboutus
Presenter's bio:
Dr. Masahiro Minami is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Education at Simon Fraser University, Canada. He specializes in mental health services research in resource-limited or compromised areas and holds multiple grant-funded projects in Bosnia & Herzegovina, Canada, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Rwanda, UK, and USA.
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Stay tuned for more details