Leveraging Implementation Science and Design Methods to Develop Community-Based Mental Health Services for Forcibly Displaced Families and Communities

Mary Bunn, PhD, LCSW is a licensed clinical social worker and Assistant Professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), Department of Psychiatry. She is also Core Faculty and Co-Director of the Global Mental Health Research and Training Program in the UIC Center for Global Health and runs a therapy clinic for refugees and asylum seekers at the UI Health.

Informed by more than twenty year of licensed clinical practice experience delivering therapy services and developing mental health programs domestically and globally, her research focuses on the development and testing of community-based mental health prevention and care interventions for survivors of war and political violence across the migration continuum. This involves using implementation science and human centered design practices to develop and test a spectrum of services that improve mental health and strengthen families and social systems of care and connection. She is particularly interested in peer service models, family and group-based interventions and examining relational processes and factors in interventions.

She is currently leading a NIMH-funded study to adapt, and pilot test a peer-led family and social strengthening group intervention for refugee families from the Middle East for delivery in public libraries. Dr. Bunn is also leading a project to develop a family services framework for torture-affected families and survivors of torture programs in the U.S. In collaboration with the International Rescue Committee, she is also co-leading a project to develop a mental health and psychosocial support services framework to guide practice, funding and policy concerning forcibly displaced populations domestically.

Objectives:

1. Describe common mental health, family and social vulnerabilities experienced by refugee and forcibly displaced communities.
2. Explain the need for and cultural appropriateness of family and community-based approaches to mental health.
3. Define adaptation methods, human centered design and participatory design and their role in adaptation of evidence-based interventions.

The University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) College of Medicine is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

The University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) College of Medicine designates this live activity for a maximum of 1credit AMA PRA Category 1 credit(s)TM. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Continuing Education Units (1) will be available for Social Workers and affiliated reciprocal agencies. Illinois Board License number 159-000112.

The Department of Psychiatry at the University of Illinois at Chicago is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists.  The Department of Psychiatry at the University of Illinois at Chicago maintains responsibility for this program and its content. This event is 1 credit hour continuing education.

No member of the planning committee for this activity have reported a relevant relationship with a commercial interest.  There is no conflict of interest and nothing to disclose.

Mary Bunn, PhD has no relevant financial relationship with commercial interests related to this CME activity.