Addiction and mental health professionals, medical providers, and recovery support staff are increasingly likely to encounter refugees and others who have experienced forced displacement. This webinar will describe the types of crises that create forced displacement, the experience of the person who was displaced, and appropriate approaches for the addiction professional, medical provider, educator, or mental health worker when serving those who have experienced forced displacement.

Learning Objectives:

1. Identify common pathways of forced displacement

2. Identify impacts of forced displacement on mental health and psychosocial health and responsive programming

3. Describe culturally appropriate approaches to services

Presenter Bios

Jessica Dalpe is a licensed social worker who has worked in the international social work field for over a decade. She currently works as the Senior Technical Advisor for Safety & Wellness at the International Rescue Committee where she also manages the Center for Adjustment, Resilience and Recovery (CARRE). Jessica’s work focuses on generating and integrating evidence-based practices related to gender-based violence and mental health and psychosocial support for refugees, asylum-seekers, and other immigrants in the U.S. who have faced forced displacement. Her previous experience includes direct service provision, program management, and capacity building in a variety of nonprofit organizations within the U.S.

Leena Zahra is a Program Officer for the IRC, and a Syrian American social impact bridge builder. With over seven years of strategic humanitarian community outreach, program management and advocacy experience, she has worked with small to large scale Nonprofits, NGOs, and government agencies like the World Food Program (WFP), International Rescue Committee (IRC UK), Karam Foundation, and U.S. Senate. She has a master’s in international development and Humanitarian Emergencies from the London School of Economics (LSE), with a specialization and interest in amplifying community voices and shifting the narrative for globally displaced perso