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POLITICAL TRAUMA SERVICES
NETWORK (PTSN)
Introducing a new collaborative
service at CHA for the coordination of care for political violence
survivors and the development of educational programs for their
providers.
About PTSN
Since 2002, the Victims
of Violence Program has sponsored the Political Trauma Services
Network. This network was designed to provide an ongoing forum for
discussion and education related to the needs of political violence
survivors.
In recent years PTSN
has focused more specifically on the psychological and legal issues
involved in applying for political asylum. In 2006, we piloted a
tri-agency collaboration with Greater Boston Legal Services (GBLS),
Community Legal Services and Counseling Center (CLSACC) and PTSN,
under Angela Radan, PhD, the founding director of PTSN. One product
of this collaboration was a training held in October 2006 at The
Cambridge Hospital for clinicians interested in learning more about
the legal aspects of the asylum process including how to provide
psychological evaluation for asylum seekers.
Coordinated Care Program for Political Violence Survivors (PVS)
A missing component of
this collaboration was overall coordination of general health care,
psychological care, legal services and social service advocacy through
dedicated case management. In 2006, CHA was fortunate to receive
a three-year grant from the Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation of
Massachusetts to meet this need. This grant funds the Coordinated
Care Program for Political Violence Survivors (PVS) at CHA. The
primary goals of the program are the improved identification of
political violence survivors, coordination of care and communication
between all providers caring for these patients through a dedicated
case manager, and the education of both providers and staff on the
treatment of such patients both within CHA and the communities we
serve.
We are pleased to announce
that PTSN and PVS are now working together to develop a comprehensive
health care program for political violence survivors and educational
programs for providers. Many of you completed the on-line survey
on the care of political violence survivors that we recently distributed
to providers. The data gathered from this survey will inform the
development of training programs that are now in development for
this year. Over the course of the next two years, we will be developing
a variety of educational materials including EPIC-based cues for
clinical interviews in a variety of disciplines, on-line resource
guides, and informational pamphlets for distribution to those already
receiving services at CHA and within the communities we serve. We
will also be conducting trainings throughout CHA with both providers
and staff who interact directly with patients.
We appreciate the enthusiastic
responses and thoughtful suggestions that we have already received
from many of you and want to encourage you to contact us with any
questions. While Dr. Radan has now stepped down as the Director
of PTSN, she will continue to provide clinical care at the Latino
Mental Health Clinic and we would like to acknowledge her tireless
efforts on behalf of political violence survivors.
Coordinating Care Now…
If you have patients
whom you would like to refer or questions concerning political violence
survivors, please contact, Meqdes Mesfin*
Barbara Hamm,
Psy.D. | bhamm@challiance.org
Acting Director, Victims
of Violence Program
Director, Political Trauma Services Network
Training Coordinator, Coordinated Care Program for Political Violence
Survivors
Robert P. Marlin,
M.D., Ph.D. | rmarlin@challiance.org
Director, Coordinated
Care Program for Political Violence Survivors
Meqdes Mesfin
| mmesfin@challiance.org
Case Manager/Coordinator,
Coordinated Care Program for Political Violence Survivors and the
Political Trauma Services Network
*Meqdes Mesfin will be
on leave until the end of July 2007. In the interim, you may direct
all queries to PVS@challiance.org
and either Barbara Hamm or Rob Marlin will respond.
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