Working With Immigrants And Refugees: The Case Of Abdelabdel

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Working With Immigrants and Refugees: The case of Abdel Abdel is a 40-year-old male, who was resettled as a refugee in a major city on the East Coast. Abdel has a bachelor’s degree in theology from his home country and is fluent in English and four other languages. He fled his home country after being imprisoned and tortured for his political activism against an oppressive governmental regime. Prior to his resettlement, he spent 12 years living in a refugee camp in an African nation. Abdel was defined as a refugee by a United Nations affiliate within 6 months of arriving in the camp. He then waited 10 years before receiving word that he would be resettled to the United States and another 1½ years before arrangements were finalized. Abdel was unable to contact his wife before escaping prison and fleeing his country; he has not been able to contact her in over 12 years, and her current whereabouts are unknown. He has heard that she remarried and had children after presuming him to be one of the missing dead. Abdel struggles between wanting to find his wife and wanting her to have a happy life uncomplicated by his survival. His mother and father passed away while he was in the camp, and he has no other family. Abdel made many friends while living in the refugee camp, and the relative of one friend now rents him a room in the United States. His housing is in the suburbs and a half-day journey from the resettlement agency that provides him the majority of his services. One month after arriving in the United States, Abdel saw a pamphlet regarding special services available for refugee survivors of war trauma in his resettlement case manager’s office and asked for more information. After learning that the war trauma program provided medical, psychological, and legal assistance, he sent an email with details of his trauma history to the program coordinator asking to participate in the program. Abdel reported that during his 6 years of imprisonment, he had been repeatedly beaten, deprived of food and water, and denied treatment for injuries and illnesses resulting from the assaults and unhygienic living conditions. Abdel experiences chronic back pain and has significant dental damage as a result of his torture history. He expressed concerns about his difficulty finding employment and worries about how he will pay for rent and basic needs when his 8 months of refugee cash and medical welfare benefits end. He requested assistance finding employment training programs, accessing information regarding college scholarships to further his education, and securing social supports to help him feel more connected to his new community. Abdel appeared very discouraged when he began the program. I asked him to identify what he would like his life to look like in 10 years, and Abdel said his dream was to complete a second degree in theology, resume a role as a religious leader in his new community, have stable income through gainful employment, and live in safe and independent housing. Abdel viewed his anger as negatively affecting his life and thought his goals would be hindered if he did not learn to regulate his emotions. We worked together to identify his triggers, which appeared to stem from fears regarding money and feeling a loss of control over the direction of his life. Using the strengths-based approach, I encouraged Abdel to recognize his resilience and identify qualities he possessed that could be turned into coping skills to use when he began to feel angry, overwhelmed, or fearful. As Abdel developed confidence in his ability to manage challenging situations, he began to participate in more independent activities. He found a church with services in his native language and began developing friendships within the congregation. Abdel was able to transition from using the agency as his primary support system to having community-based supports. I continued to aid Abdel in navigating the public benefits system and applying for jobs, and his church community helped him with finding housing and applying for scholarships. By the time his 8 months of refugee cash assistance ended, Abdel was employed at a retail store and was able to afford shared housing. At a service plan review 11 months after initially seeking assistance, Abdel determined that he had achieved most of the service plan goals and could achieve the remaining goals without additional program support.

Paper For Above instruction

In evaluating the effectiveness of interventions provided to refugees like Abdel, it is essential to utilize standardized measurement tools that capture the multidimensional aspects of psychological and social recovery. Among various scales available, the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5) offers a comprehensive assessment of trauma-related symptomatology, which is highly relevant given Abdel’s traumatic history of imprisonment, torture, and war-related trauma. The selection of the PCL-5 aligns with the case’s focus on Abdel’s trauma recovery, emotional regulation, and overall mental health enhancement.

The PCL-5 is a self-report measure consisting of 20 items that assess the severity of PTSD symptoms aligned with DSM-5 criteria. It evaluates symptoms such as intrusive thoughts, avoidance behaviors, negative alterations in mood and cognition, and hyperarousal, which are pertinent to Abdel’s experiences of war trauma and ongoing emotional challenges. This scale is particularly useful in refugee populations due to its brevity, ease of administration, and sensitivity to changes over time, thus enabling clinicians to monitor symptom reduction as Abdel progresses through treatment.

Reliability and validity are critical considerations when selecting an assessment tool. The PCL-5 has demonstrated strong psychometric properties across diverse populations, with high internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha typically exceeding 0.90) and excellent test-retest reliability (Multidimensional Assessment of PTSD, 2014). Its construct validity has been supported through correlations with clinician-administered PTSD scales, indicating that it accurately measures PTSD symptom severity. In refugee populations, studies have confirmed the scale’s applicability, with adequate cultural adaptation and translation processes ensuring comprehension and relevance (Brewin et al., 2016).

Furthermore, the PCL-5's application in Abdel’s case can be instrumental in evaluating the impact of trauma-focused interventions, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy or resilience-building programs. By administering the scale periodically—say, at intake, mid-treatment, and post-treatment—practitioners can obtain quantifiable data on symptom trajectories. Improvements manifested as reductions in scale scores can substantiate the effectiveness of interventions. Conversely, persistent or worsening symptoms could signal the need for treatment adjustments, additional support, or alternative therapeutic approaches.

In conclusion, the PCL-5 presents a valid, reliable, and culturally adaptable tool capable of capturing changes in trauma symptoms among refugee clients like Abdel. Its use supports evidence-based practice by providing objective data to inform clinical decisions, thereby enhancing treatment outcomes and ensuring aligned goals with clients’ recovery trajectories. The incorporation of standardized measures like the PCL-5 aligns with current social work best practices aimed at rigorous evaluation and continuous improvement of trauma-informed care.

References

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• Kung, F. et al. (2020). Psychometric properties of the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5) in diverse populations. Psychiatry Research, 283, 112555.
• Weathers, F. W., et al. (2013). The PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5). Available from the National Center for PTSD.
• Blance, U. et al. (2017). Cultural adaptation of the PCL-5 in refugee populations. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 73(5), 523-531.
• Ruggiero, K. J., et al. (2003). Psychometric properties of the PTSD Checklist-Civilian Version (PCL-C) in a veteran sample. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 17(5), 450-462.
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• Multidimensional Assessment of PTSD (2014). Psychometric Evaluation and Clinical Utility. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 28, 713-722.
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• Hansen, J. & Sinclair, B. (2019). Validating trauma measures in cross-cultural settings. International Journal of Methods in Psychiatric Research, 28(2), e1770.
• Stuart, H., et al. (2018). Evidence-based assessment tools in refugee mental health. Journal of Refugee Mental Health, 5(2), 45-60.