Literature and practice are limited on strategies to reach elder Southeast Asian refugees by using their strengths and resilience. This article presents the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)-funded Cambodian Community Health 2010 Program in Lowell, Massachusetts, as a case example. It provides refugee history, project background, community survey results about strengths and risks, literature on Strengths-Based Approaches, outreach activities, and evaluation. The focus is elimination of health disparities in cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Key findings highlight involving elders in organizing events, avoiding reliance on literacy, integrating health promotion with socialization, using ties with Buddhist temples, developing transportation alternatives, and utilizing local Khmer language media. Implications include applicability to other refugee communities with low literacy, high levels of trauma, limited English, and strong religious involvement.
Using culturally appropriate, trauma-informed support to promote bicultural self-efficacy among resettled refugees: A conceptual model
Resettled refugees face pressure to integrate successfully into the culture of their resettlement country within a relatively short period of time. Though successful integration is important, research has shown that ethnic identity and participation in the ethnic culture of origin play a key role in supporting the mental health of resettled refugees. This paper presents…