A Memoir of Making a Complex Care Clinic with refugee families in mind

BACKGROUND: It is estimated that of the 59.5 million people who are refugees from around the world, over half are under the age of 18 years . Despite forced migration being one of the dominant narratives in Australia and... [ view full abstract ]

BACKGROUND: It is estimated that of the 59.5 million people who are refugees from around the world, over half are under the age of 18 years . Despite forced migration being one of the dominant narratives in Australia and worldwide at present, the psychological health of refugee children remains poorly understood. Further, there is limited evidence base on the development and delivery of comprehensive mental health services for refugee children and their families. . This presentation outlines a pilot service model for a consultation and liaison service in partnership between a Sydney based CAMHS team and local NGOs to provide specialist mental health care to child and adolescent refugees and asylum seekers with trauma related illnesses.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the presentation is to promote discussion around how to provide ethical and effective mental health care for refugee and asylum seeker children within our existing framework of mental health services and the wider political climate.

METHOD: A narrative description of the service from its conception through to the present state is provided using a multi-systemic framework. Particular attention is paid to the challenges, barriers, successes and surprises alongside issues of feasibility, acceptability, cultural sensitivity, adaptability and effectiveness. This is supplemented by a case study and a literature review of service models from around the world.

CONCLUSION: Innovative models of care informed by transcultural and systemic perspectives incorporating resilience framework, community collaboration, and focussed ethnography are critical in delivering specialist CAMHS services to refugee and asylum seeker children and their families.