Moving to a new country is stressful for anyone. But fleeing your home, surviving a dangerous migration journey, and enduring incarceration in a detention center creates a specific, deep-seated type of trauma. In the US, ELOIM’s health program has a laser focus: Mental Health. We have identified this as the single greatest unmet need among the New American population.
The Layers of Trauma The individuals we serve are often carrying a heavy invisible load.
- Past Trauma: The persecution or violence that forced them to leave their home country.
- Journey Trauma: The physical and emotional toll of the migration route.
- Systemic Trauma: The shock of being treated like a criminal in the US. As our founder Tendo Steven experienced, being detained and denied medical care strips a person of their dignity.
Our Approach to Healing We believe that you cannot build a new life on a foundation of untreated trauma. Our support systems are designed to offer more than just material aid.
- Counseling Access: We advocate for and facilitate access to culturally competent mental health services. Therapy for a refugee looks different than therapy for a US citizen; it requires understanding cultural nuance and specific PTSD triggers.
- Community as Therapy: Isolation feeds depression. By integrating New Americans into host families and community groups, we provide the “social medicine” of belonging.
Restoring Hope Our vision is a world where New Americans thrive, not just survive. Thriving requires a healthy mind. By acknowledging and treating these mental health challenges, we are helping to restore not just the health, but the hope of the individuals we serve.
