Key Informant Perspectives on the Crisis Intervention Needs of Karen Families in Ramsey County, MN

Abstract

This project was completed as part of the 2018-2019 Resilient Communities Project (rcp.umn.edu) partnership with Ramsey County. Ramsey County Behavioral Health provides comprehensive mental health and chemical health services to children and adults, many of whom lack access to treatment. A substantial number of Karen refugees--a minority ethnic group from Burma’s eastern border along Thailand--have settled in St. Paul. Karen residents are currently underrepresented in their use of all behavioral health services, particularly crisis intervention services. Anecdotally, staff hear that people experiencing mental health crisis are either using the emergency room, go without care, or receive services through the corrections system after an arrest. Ramsey County project lead Nikki Miller worked with a pair of students enrolled in FSOS 4294: Research Internship, taught by Dr. Sara Axtell, to research the literature on crisis intervention programs, strategies, or approaches that are successful nationally in understanding and meeting the needs of the Karen or other traditionally underserved ethnic/racial communities; conduct telephone interviews with staff at organizations or agencies that serve Karen families to learn more about these programs, how they were initiated, how they operate, and best practices/lessons learned that might be transferable to the Ramsey County context; and recommend strategies to increase access to and use of county services by Karen families. The students' final report and a project brief summarizing the project are available.