Connecting Cultures
University of Vermont
Connecting Cultures
Responding to the Mental Health Needs of Refugees and Survivors of Torture
Winner of the 2020 W. K. Kellogg Foundation Community Engagement Scholarship Award
View all 2020 W. K. Kellogg Foundation Community Engagement Scholarship Award Recipients
Connecting Cultures was established in 2007 in partnership with Vermont's expanding community of refugees, to serve the needs of refugees and survivors of torture. The impact of torture can be far-reaching, not only affecting individuals who have directly experienced trauma, but also their families and communities. Failing to adequately address trauma among refugees can lead to re-traumatization, poverty, discrimination, and unsuccessful re-integration. Utilizing a multidisciplinary, evidence-based model of mental health intervention, the Connecting Cultures clinical science specialty services have served more than one thousand refugees and survivors of torture since 2007.
Faculty and partners share outcomes of their service, outreach, teaching, and research through such outlets as the National Consortium of Torture Treatment Programs and the Association of Psychology Training Clinics, with the goal of improving mental health services for refugees and survivors of torture across the country.