Becoming a Lay Mental Health Advisor: course for migrants
-
Module 1. Introduction to Mental Health
Lesson 1. Introduction to module -
Lesson 2. Basic Mental Health Concepts and Terminology
-
Lessson 3. Emotional Phases of the Migration Journey
-
Lesson 4. Factors influencing mental well-being
-
Lesson 5. Common mental health challenges experienced by migrants and refugees
-
Lesson 6. Case study
-
Lesson 7. Summary
-
Lesson 8. Self-assesment quiz1 Quiz
-
MODULE 2. Common Mental Health DisordersLesson 1. Introduction
-
Lesson 2. Introduction to mental health
-
Lesson 3. Overview of common disorders
-
Lesson 4. Recognizing symptoms
-
Lesson 5. Responding with empathy
-
Lesson 6. Summary and reflection
-
MODULE 3. INTRODUCTION TO TRAUMA-INFORMED CARELesson 1. Introduction
-
Lesson 2. What is trauma?
-
Lesson 3. What is trauma-informed care?
-
Lesson 4. Getting started with trauma-informed-care
-
Lesson 5. Summary
-
Lesson 6. Self-assessment quiz1 Quiz
-
MODULE 4. ACCESS TO MENTAL HEALTH SERVICESLesson 1. Introduction
-
Lesson 2. Mental health rights for migrants and refugee
-
Lesson 3. Ethical considerations in mental health support
-
Lesson 4. Summary
-
MODULE 5. SELF-CARE FOR LAY ADVISORSLesson 1. Introduction
-
Lesson 2. Acknowledge the impact
-
Lesson 3. Discovery of techniques
-
Lesson 4. Summary and reflection
-
Lesson 5. Self-assessment quiz1 Quiz
-
MODULE 6. MINDFULNESS AND SELF-CARE FOR MIGRANTS & REFUGEESLesson 1. Introduction
-
Lesson 2. Introduction to mindfulness and self-care
-
Lesson 3. Understanding stress, trauma and the body
-
Lesson 4. Adapting mindfulness strategies
-
Lesson 5. Cultural sensitivity in mindfulness and self-care
-
Lesson 6. Conclusion
-
Lesson 7. Case study
-
Lesson 8. Summary and further readings
-
Lesson 9. Self-assessment quiz1 Quiz
Case study: Olena from Kharkiv, Ukraine
Olena is a 45-year-old woman from Kharkiv, Ukraine. She fled to your country with her 12-year-old daughter due to the war. They are staying in government-supported housing. Her daughter attends school and has started to pick up the local language quickly. Olena, however, is struggling to adjust.
She has basic language support through local services (a translator, online apps or volunteer interpreters) but avoids most social activities. She used to work as a nurse in Ukraine but is currently unemployed. During informal conversations with volunteers, she expresses sadness, guilt for “not doing enough”, and says she feels like a “burden.” She often complains of headaches, fatigue and poor sleep, but refuses professional help, saying: “I’m not crazy; I just need to stay strong.”
Recently, she stopped coming to the language class and has not responded to text messages from a community centre worker. A neighbour mentioned that she tends to stay in her room with the curtains drawn.