The Project on Genocide, Psychiatry and Witnessing
Kosovar TAFES Family Program

New Kosovar arrivals to Chicago face simultaneous multiple challenges of displacement, resettlement, and traumatization, made more difficult given the extreme rapidity of their becoming refugees and the immediate possibility of return. Kosovars are faced with many obstacles that are likely to make this process more difficult, including lack of information, geographic disbursement, unfamiliarity with health, mental health and social services, and large family systems. Preliminary investigation indicates that any effort to help Kosovars should be focused on the Kosovar family. We are providing a family prevention and access intervention for Kosovar refugees in Chicago, that is based on the model now being utilized with Bosnian families called CAFES: Coffee and Family Education and Support. The goals of this Prevention and Access Intervention for Families are to: 1) Help families to be better able to draw upon the families’ strengths and resources to cope together under the stresses of survival and exile; 2) Improve families’ ability to access service organizations that can help them in family adjustment and recovery.

The CAFES group is a time-limited intervention, which lasts a total of 8 weeks. The intervention consists of six multiple family group sessions, with up to six families per group, held in community settings. The groups are run by Kosovars who will be trained by us. Families are recruited for the groups through family outreach and liaison with existing service organizations and key mediators within the Kosovar Albanian community. We are also providing mental health treatment for persons in need through our collaboration with the Chicago Health Outreach, and through our links with other service organizations. This project is supported by a grant from the Jewish Federation and also the National Institute of Mental Health.