Community collaboration is an essential part of our work. We recognize that improving health and wellness for our patients requires efforts outside the clinical space. We partner closely with community organizations, refugee resettlement agencies and the state Office of Refugee Resettlement. We collaborate with The International Rescue Committee of Tucson on their Survivor of Torture Program, and work closely with them to identify, treat and refer patients for appropriate services.
One of our key advocacy initiatives is the Department’s Medical-Legal Partnership (MLP, a collaboration between healthcare and legal services providers) which works to advocate for refugee patients and their families both on an individual level and within broader systems of care.
A key aspect of our community engagement is the Program’s Refugee Health Forum. This is an annual summit of key Arizona stakeholders including clinical care providers, researchers, refugee resettlement staff, and community members that focusing on collaboration, education and information sharing.