Mr.*B. fled his native country after having been tortured and persecuted for his religious beliefs. After witnessing the death of loved ones-and narrowly escaping death himself-Mr. B came to America hoping for a new life. Shortly after his arrival, however, Mr. B was confronted with the tough challenges of survival: finding a job, a place to live, improving his English. He could no longer work as an engineer, as he did in his own country; instead, he took whatever entry-level jobs he could. He was lonely, and desperately concerned about his surviving family back home, but felt powerless to save them. What's more, Mr. B noticed that he would sometimes be unable to stop himself from "re-living" the events of his torture. Thoughts of his victimization and the death of family members often interfered with his concentration on the job, and interrupted his sleep. He began to feel hopeless about the future, and contemplated taking his life. Mr. B's IINJ social services caseworker introduced him to a counselor at the Cross-Cultural Counseling Center (CCCC), so he could have a safe, confidential place to discuss his reactions to both past events and present stresses. He found that talking and learning about the body's natural response to severe trauma helped him manage his reactions better, and he began to feel that his life was his own again. Mr. B got the support he needed to take actions to improve his situation. He went back to school to study engineering and is exploring ways to help his family come to the United States. Over time his sleep improved and the counselor helped him find a community group from his own country, enabling Mr. B to restore his cultural and spiritual identity. The staff of the CCCC are bilingual, bicultural clinicians, psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, art therapists, and counselors who offer individual, family, and group counseling for those experiencing a wide variety of concerns, from the stresses of cultural adjustment to the effects of severe trauma and torture. Increasingly, refugees and immigrants flee to the United States seking refuge from war, ethnic conflicts, and state-sponsored campaigns of terror. It is estimated that up to 35% of refugees from countries practicing torture are survivors themselves. In order to address the particular needs of survivors of torture and trauma, the CCCC offers special psychosocial care. The project is integrated with the Institute's social, legal, educational, and arts programs to ensure holistic support for survivors and their families. We
also partner with community organizations to develop psychosocial activities for youth,
adults, and the elderly. Languages spoken include: Creole, Russian, French,
Vietnamese, Chinese, Spanish and Albanian. The CCCC offers training to professionals
nationwide on topics related to refugee trauma. For more
information call Sara Kahn
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