Working with Immigrant and Refugee Populations: A Contextual Perspective

Working with Immigrant and Refugee Populations: A Contextual Perspective

Friday, March 13, 2020

Registration 8:30am Program 9am to 12pm

Presented By: Lavanya Devdas, Ph.D., MSW

PCOM 4170 City Avenue Philadelphia, PA 19131

Evans Hall 334

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

3.0 CE Credits

This session will focus on the similarities and differences between immigrant and refugee populations in the United States, within-group differences, nature of clinical concerns, factors to consider in assessment and treatment planning, systemic issues, and ethical considerations. This would also include experiential activities in the form of small group exercises, and video to demonstrate culturally relevant and ethical factors in provision of therapeutic services.

Objectives:

1. Describe the differences between immigrant and refugee populations in the U.S.
2. Demonstrate understanding of the clinical concerns associated with the migration process and adjustment to the U.S. based Western culture.
3. Describe contextual and related factors when considering planning, assessment and treatment interventions for immigrant and refugee populations in the U.S.
4. Recognize the inherent challenges and ethical considerations when working with immigrant and refugee populations.
5. Practice treatment planning using the content learned in this session through small group activities related to working with immigrant and refugee populations.

Dr. Lavanya Devdas is a licensed psychologist in PA and NY and has a private practice in Doylestown, PA, for mental health therapy for adults. She treats anxiety, depression and relational challenges within the context and lived experiences of the individual. Her master’s degree in social work (MSW) and community-based experiences in India for 3 years shape her style in considering individual, group, communal, and systemic factors that influence the meaning of struggles in one’s life and one’s identity. Combining her systems approach with her training in a doctoral degree in counseling psychology from Lehigh University, PA, in the past 4 years she has implemented an integrative approach that focuses on the individual’s preferences and values within familial and social environments, and coping strategies including mindfulness. She was also part of the courageous conversations grant that focused on developing a framework for talking about the isms and having difficult conversations at her University.

As the current chair of the Committee on Multiculturalism in the Pennsylvania Psychological Association (PPA), she continues to promote diversity-based discussions at the leadership level, and continues her advocacy effort at her constituency, state and national levels. She continues to be passionate about promoting culturally sensitive approaches in working with adult populations, and especially students. Dr. Devdas herself juggles two or more cultures and understands the cultural switches that need to happen depending on the cultural contexts. She also serves as a mentor through the Pennsylvania Psychological Association, and the Division on South Asian Americans. She is also a strong proponent of groups and outreach and has had training and experience in running groups for cultural adjustment, graduate student support, interpersonal process groups, intersecting identities, mindfulness for stress, and navigating acculturative stress among international students. She has been a panel speaker for topics such as intersecting identities, addressing mental health concerns from a cultural perspective, and intersecting feminism and culture, and stress management. The populations she has worked with, and presented on, include families of immigrants, refugees and students under the DACA status, and permanent residents and the range of concerns included acculturative stress, trauma, intergenerational family conflict, cultural values conflict, alongside anxiety and depression and limited access to mental health resources. She has also worked with faculty and staff in providing community consultations around language and ways of addressing mental health concerns among students on campus and engaged in this role at universities, including Cornell University from January 2018 until May 2019.

PSCP: The Psychology Network is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. PSCP: The Psychology Network maintains responsibility for this program and its content.