The MHTTC Building Health Equity & Cultural Responsiveness Working Group (BHE+CRWG) provides guidance and identifies, adapts, and develops resources to support all MHTTCs and their constituents in enhancing their awareness, knowledge, and expertise to address cultural and linguistic capacity to achieve equity. Currently, the BHE+CRWG is focusing its efforts on bringing awareness to the mental health needs of asylum seekers and refugee populations. Recognizing and appropriately responding to mental health needs among asylum seekers and refugees poses a challenge because of differences in language, culture, as well as specific stressors and trauma associated with migration and resettlement. In addition to the need for culturally responsive approaches, we also lack the workforce capacity to adequately support these populations. These exponential effects challenge leaders trying to mitigate mental health conditions within our newfound community members.

Through our upcoming 2-part panel series, Supporting the Mental Health of Refugee and Asylee Communities, we aim to:

• Raise awareness about relevant mental health needs of asylum seekers and refugee populations through highlighting their voices and stories.
• Share best practices and strategies with providers and organizations using contextual and system-level perspectives.
• Differentiate between a cultural knowledge-base and culturally responsive approaches.