Refugee Mental Health Shouldn't Be an Afterthought
A CONVERSATION WITH Dr. Someireh Amirfaiz
Dr. Someireh Amirfaiz has been a leader in the nonprofit sector for over 25 years, advocating for refugees, immigrants, and families of color impacted by poverty and racial and social disparities.
As a codesign team member and an advisory team member for the CARE for Kids & Families project, Someireh has been a key partner in ensuring that the needs of refugees and immigrants do not go overlooked when it comes to expanding access to culturally responsive mental healthcare.
Someireh currently serves as the Executive Director of the New Americans Alliance for Policy and Research (NAAPR), an organization she founded in 2021 to promote the prosperity, influence, and inclusion of New Americans through advocacy, education, policy analysis, and research. NAAPR will be hosting a Refugee Conference on June 22nd, 2023 at the Seattle Marriott Hotel in Sea-Tac.
Through her work at NAAPR, as well as the numerous boards, committees, and councils she sits on, Someireh works tirelessly to advocate for those who are often, as she explains, rendered invisible by a lack of tracking data and public awareness around their situations.
Moreover, Someireh continuously challenges the prevalent media and political narrative that portrays refugees and immigrants as a burden to society and a threat to American national security, instead, using her voice to highlight their many contributions to the economic, intellectual, and cultural success of the United States.
“Refugee is a [temporary] status…we are not going to go away. It’s on all of us to make sure that people are successful because they all come with a zest for life and the zest to succeed.”
CoLab’s Anna Duncan and Merih Mehari recently spoke with Someireh about the importance of access to culturally relevant mental healthcare for refugees and immigrants and some of the the changes she is advocating for with her organization. Dr. Amirfaiz also illuminated the unique mental healthcare needs for this population, explained how current policies are actively working against refugee welfare, and helped us understand how language and other cultural barriers can affect the therapeutic experience. View their conversation, below.
“I believe policy is crucial in terms of making sure that people’s voices are heard and that the services they get are relevant to their needs.”
“...One of the ladies was crying, and she said, ‘I’m Black, I’m Muslim, and nobody wants me here.’ To this day, I still remember the emotion and the sense of desperation.”
CoLab and the CARE for Kids & Families team are honored to partner with leaders like Someireh who are finding new and innovative ways to make culturally responsive care more prevalent and accessible! We extend our gratitude to Someireh and NAAPR for working with us on this piece.
To learn more about Someireh’s nonprofit, New Americans Alliance for Policy and Research, visit naapr.org.
Save the Date for the Refugee Conference, organized by NAAPR, to be held on June 22nd, 2023 at the Seattle Marriott Hotel in Sea-Tac.
To contact Dr. Amirfaiz directly, reach out to someireh [at] naapr.org.
To learn more about CARE for Kids & Families, visit uwcolab.org/CARE.