CRIS Health & Wellness Program Expands to Address Mental Health Needs

Clinician Kyri Shaffer joins CRIS staff, launches brief therapy model for refugees

We are excited to announce that brief therapy sessions are now available to CRIS clients. Kyri Shaffer joined the CRIS staff as Refugee Health & Wellness Clinical Lead in July of this year. She brings 15 years of experience as a mental health provider with a focus on immigrant and refugee care. Among the many important ways she is actively advancing mental health resources at CRIS and in the community, brief therapy for current CRIS clients is a top priority. We recently sat down with her to learn more about this exciting addition to CRIS’ services:

What is “brief” therapy and why is this the model of treatment for CRIS clients?

We wanted to choose a model of treatment that is accessible to refugees, eliminating as many barriers as possible–in a familiar place (the CRIS Office), free of cost and no insurance required, free transportation, in-person interpretation, with the support of case management if/when needed. It’s also a top priority for us that clients know that they can come even just for one session and it still be helpful to them.

Some clients are on waitlists for community mental health providers. Offering brief therapy through CRIS in the meantime provides them a space to become oriented to the field of mental health, and creates pathways for both the client and their future provider to be better-equipped to receive longer-term, often westernized models of treatment when needed.

Why is mental health counseling valuable for refugees and immigrants?

I view brief therapy with refugees as preventative and connective. One of our goals is to help clients identify what is normal stress versus severe stress, normalizing the impact of their experiences and the amount of stress they may experience as a result. Adjusting to a new culture, shifts in family dynamics, and all of the unfamiliar elements of everyday life, are just some of the most common stressors for newly arrived refugees. As they learn to recognize stress, we work on developing skills to manage it. 

Feeling isolated is a common by-product of resettlement–isolation from one’s familiar community and/or uncertainty about whether to talk about their experiences in their own communities; therapy can also create space for refugees to connect with someone to discuss their experiences. Therapy can also facilitate refugees reconnecting with themselves, and accessing their own strengths, in a way that helps them regain a sense of hope as they begin to rebuild their lives.

What are the unique challenges of (and skills required for) providing mental health services to refugees?

Working with refugees in the field of mental health requires examining one’s own beliefs about illness and wellness, which are culturally defined. It also requires an awareness of the reality of how our mental health system is culturally constrained. 

Providing mental health services to refugees also means that the “starting” point is different, including a slower pace and an emphasis on mental health literacy. Answering questions like “Who is this person?” and “Is this a safe place?” is important, and the role involves more teaching, advocacy, and case management than a traditional clinician’s role.

There can be a tendency for clinicians to want to focus on trauma with refugee and immigrant clients but that may not be what the client considers most pressing or helpful. Honing in on their strengths, motivation, and small wins are the kindle that rebuilds hope and healing. 

Working with an interpreter is a learned skill. I have come to understand that interpreters can be tremendous assets–not barriers–to connecting with clients and meeting their mental health needs. Using the right interpreter and working together effectively is often the biggest determinant of whether a client will return to therapy.