A needs assessment for an ESL classroom-based mental health intervention for refugees

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2015-05

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The purpose of this report is to describe a needs assessment design for a proposed mental health intervention for the refugee population in Austin, TX. A key element of the intervention is its setting in an adult English as a Second Language (ESL) classroom, with the teacher serving as the administrator of the intervention. In the first of part the assessment, the mental health needs of refugees in the Austin area are explored through data collected from a series of informal interviews with individuals who provide services for refugees. The second part the assessment seeks to identify the possibilities and challenges of utilizing the ESL classroom as a potential setting for mental health service provision. In the proposed design, ten ESL teachers who work with refugees will be interviewed to assess their levels of willingness and preparedness to participate in mental service provision and identify the types of training and support that they would need to serve in a mental health provision role. The interviews will also include the teachers' assessments of different mental health-related activities in terms of their appropriateness for the ESL classroom.

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