Typically, Immigrants and refugees (or cultural minorities in
similar settings) are marked by a number of vulnerabilities that affect trust
level, and which encourage self-protection. These vulnerabilities may include
the danger of deportation, social isolation, risk of suicide, risk of crime or
arrest, susceptibility to drugs and alcohol, and sometimes-physical danger from
their current surroundings, or from their original home environment. Many
immigrants found that the stress of day-to-day living have negative
consequences for their biological, social and mental health wellbeing.
The African Coalition team develops and implements the mental
health education projects for African Communities locally, which became a model
to other counties and states for African mental health community engagement.
Some of the volunteer board members and consultants are Psychiatric social
workers and mental health clinician; provide intense direct clinical and case
management at a community setting specifically for African and Caribbean
immigrants. As an immigrant-based organization, we advocate on behalf of the
African consumers, coordinate and assist community members in receiving
culturally and linguistically appropriate mental health services.
ACPHC partners with communities
and other public service agencies, to anticipate community’s problems, with the
goal, of preventions, or promoting safety, stability, health and well-being.
These initiatives focus on a number of groups including New arrived refugees,
the elderly, youth in the risk situations, and children.
Our collaborative public agencies, community-based and faith-based
collaborative organizations provide the Coalition with strong support from the
community that the African coalition serves.
Acknowledging the gap between African immigrants and
“traditional” physical and mental health services, the African Coalition
promotes an African-centered approach to mental health care, service delivery
and theoretical understanding of all mental health programs.
As opposed to most programs that offer a one-dimensional plan at
treating issues faced by at-risk individuals, the African Coalition takes on a
comprehensive multi-dimensional approach to treating the mental and physical
health of hard to reach, African communities.
Empowering the Community Leaders – Through the Village
Healing Ways (VHW), African Coalition provides culturally competent training to
trusted and selected volunteer community members, in order for them to become
‘lay-experts’ on mental health issues, and immigration.
The African Coalition provides
education workshops to increase awareness and the utilization of health and
other community services. case management through our case management services,
we provide community members with referrals and coordination of services, to
meet their health, immigration, and other social service needs.