Culturally-Appropriate Crisis Intervention for Karen Families in Ramsey County

Abstract

This project was completed as part of the 2018-2019 Resilient Communities Project (rcp.umn.edu) partnership with Ramsey County. 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 teams of students enrolled in SW 8352: Intervention Methods with Families, taught by Katrina Cisneros, to better understand the inherent resiliency and family-oriented perceptions of mental health and wellness within the Karen community, with the goal of assisting Ramsey County to shift service delivery and use of resources to align with the strengths and needs of Karen families. The students' final report and presentation are available.