Refugee Resettlement

DHS
US Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) Working for Immigration Programs : USCIS is responsible for administering benefits and services activities including adjudication of applications for benefits such as petitions for the immigration of relatives and workers, work authorizations, adjustments of status, requests for asylum, and naturalization

US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants
1717 Massachusetts Ave, NW Ste 200, Washington DC 20036
(202) 797-2105 FAX: (202) 347-2576
President and CEO: Lavinia Limon
Email: llimon@uscridc.org
http://www.refugees.org

Church World Service & Witness/Immigration and Refugee Program
475 Riverside Dr., Room 652, New York, NY 10115
(212) 870-3300/2167 FAX: (212) 870-2132
Director: Reverend Wendy Pomeroy
E-mail: wpomeroy@ncccusa.org
http://www.ncccusa.org

Episcopal Migration Ministries/Domestic & Foreign Missionary Society
815 Second Ave., New York, NY 10017
(212) 716-6252 FAX: (212) 972-0860
Director: Richard Parkins
E-mail: rparkins@dfms.org
http://www.dfms.org

Ethiopian Community Development Council, Inc. (ECDC)
1038 S. Highland St., Arlington, VA 22204
(703) 685-0510 FAX: (703) 685-0529
Director: Tsehaye Teferra
E-mail: ecdc@erols.com

Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, Inc. (HIAS)
333 Seventh Ave., New York, NY 10001-5004
(212) 967-4100 FAX: (212) 760-1833
Executive Vice President: Leonard Glickman
E-mail: info@hias.org
http://www.hias.org

International Rescue Committee (IRC)
122 E. 42nd Street, New York, NY 10168-1289
(212) 551-3000 FAX: (212) 551-3180
President: Reynold Levy
E-mail: irc@intrescom.org
http://www.intrescom.org

Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS)
700 Light St., Baltimore, MD 21230
Executive Director: Ralston H. Deffenbaugh, Jr.
E-mail: lirs@lirs.org
http://www.lirs.org

United States Catholic Conference/Migration and Refugee Services, (USCC/MRS)
3211 4th St., NE, Washington, DC 20017
(202) 541-3352 FAX: (202) 541-3399
Executive Director: Mark Franken
E-mail: mrs@nccbuscc.org
http://www.nccbuscc.org/mrs

World Relief Corporation
7 E Baltimore St Baltimore, MD 21202
(443) 451-1900
Fax: (443) 451-1965
Vice President of U.S. Operations
email: worldrelief@wr.org
http://www.wr.org

Services for Survivors of Torture Program

The Torture Victims/Survivors Program provides treatment for all victims of torture regardless of their immigration status. Services may include mental health and psychological services; legal and social services; and research and training for health care providers outside of treatment centers or programs.

The Torture Victims Relief Act of 1998 (TVRA), provides funding for a comprehensive program of support for survivors of torture. The TVRA recognizes that a significant number of refugees, asylees, and asylum seekers entering the United States have suffered torture. These torture survivors, now living in the United States, should be provided with the rehabilitative services which would enable them to become productive members of our communities. Grants to programs in the United States fund the following services:

James M. Jaranson, MD, MPH, James Butcher, PhD, Linda Halcon, PhD, MPH, RN, David Robert Johnson, MD, MPH, Cheryl Robertson, PhD, MPH, RN, Kay Savik, MS, Marline Spring, PhD and Joseph Westermeyer, MD, PhD, MPH (2004) Somali and Oromo Refugees: Correlates of Torture and Trauma History. American Journal of Public Health. 94 (4) 591-598.

This article, by nurses who have been or are nurses at CVT, discusses how to identify, assess and treat those who have endured torture. The article is also available in PDF format.

The Refugee Mental Health Program (RMHP) originated in the Alcohol, Drug Abuse, and Mental Health Administration (ADAMHA) in 1980. The basic mission of the RMHP was to provide mental health assessment, treatment, and consultation to Cuban and Haitian migrants, and their providers. In 1992, in conjunction with the reorganization of ADAMHA, the activities of the RMHP were transferred to the Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS), Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). In 1995, the original Cuban/Haitian activities of the RMHP were transferred to the Department of Justice. Concurrently, the consultative activities of the RMHP were retained in SAMHSA, CMHS.

Since 1995, through an Intra-Agency Agreement with the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), the RMHP provides refugee mental health consultation and technical assistance to Federal, State, or local agencies. Priority is given to ORR-funded programs. There is no cost for these services. Specific RMHP services and activities include:

on-site and distance consultation
community assessments, program development and dissemination of technical assistance documents
development and provision of workshops and training programs for resettlement staff, mental health personnel, or other providers.
special missions as assigned by the Director, Office of Refugee Resettlement

Contact Information

Program Director
Captain John J. Tuskan, Jr., USPHS
E-mail: john.tuskan@samhsa.hhs.gov
Office Tel: 240-276-1845
Fax: 240-276-1890

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
Center for Mental Health Services
Refugee Mental Health Program
1 Choke Cherry Road
Room 6-1099
Rockville, MD 20857

Office of Refugee Resettlement
The mission of the Office of Refugee Resettlement is to help refugees, Cuban/Haitian entrants, asylees, and other beneficiaries of our program to establish a new life that is founded on the dignity of economic self-support and encompasses full participation in opportunities which Americans enjoy.

United Nations Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture
The Fund was established by General Assembly resolution 36/151 of 16 December 1981 to receive voluntary contributions from Governments, non-governmental organizations and individuals for distribution to non-governmental organizations providing humanitarian assistance to victims of torture and members of their family.

International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims
The International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims (IRCT) is an independent, international health professional organization that promotes and supports the rehabilitation of torture victims and works for the prevention of torture worldwide.

Ammesty International
Amnesty International’s site contains upwards of 10,000 documents pertaining to human rights. AI is also a world leader in the fight to eradicate torture.

Derechos Human Rights
Derechos Human Rights, the first internet-based human rights organization, works for the promotion and respect of human rights all over the world and against impunity for human rights violators.

Doctors of the World
Doctors of the World is the autonomous U.S. affiliate of the French medical relief organization, Médecins du Monde, founded by Bernard Kouchner in 1980. The organization is part of an international network of twelve Doctors of the World/Médecins du Monde delegations in Europe and the Americas, whose joint aim is to provide medical assistance to the world's most vulnerable populations.

Human Rights Internet
Founded in 1976, HRI is a leader in the exchange of information within the worldwide human rights community. Launched in the United States, HRI has its headquarters in Ottawa, Canada. From Ottawa, HRI communicates by phone, fax, mail and the Internet with more than 5,000 organizations and individuals around the world working for the advancement of human rights.

Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch (HRW) investigates and exposes human rights violations occurring worldwide. Their website provides an extensive listing of country reports documenting human rights abuse.

International Committee of the Red Cross
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is an impartial, neutral and independent organization whose exclusively humanitarian mission is to protect the lives and dignity of victims of war and internal violence and to provide them with assistance.

Services for Survivors of Torture Program

Refugee Mental Health Academic Links

National Mutual Assistance Associations