Module 1: Historical Perspective

Suggested Activities

Individual Activities

• Write a short reflection paper addressing the following points.

• Why is it important to understand the root causes of massive population shifts?

• Some people are forced to leave their home environments because their natural environment is no longer habitable. We can view these people as forcibly displaced. 

• To what extent should international law and organizations provide shelter for them? 

• Should these people be classified as refugees?

Group Activities

• Each small group will identify and briefly describe a historical example of forced migration because of discrimination and persecution. (Topics may include: the Huguenots in France, the Puritans and Quakers in England, the Native Americans, the Armenians in 1915-1917, the Russians in 1917, the Holocaust…). Include: 

• What were some of the challenges and opportunities that the refugees faced? 

• How were their needs addressed at that time in history? 

• How is this historical perspective relevant today?

 

 

Module 2: Why is Refugee Resettlement of Interest to Social Work Practice?

Suggested Activities

Individual Activities

• Write a short reflection paper addressing the following points.

• What comes to mind when you hear the words “forced migration" and "refugee"? 

• What are some positive and negative representations of migrants and refugees that you have seen in the media?

Group Activities

• Each small group will identify and briefly research an international such as the International Rescue Committee (IRC) and the UN refugee agency (UNHCR). Include:

• What are their roles and tasks? 

• In addition, each group will identify local and/or state organizations in their region that assist refugees. 

• What are their roles and tasks?

 

 

Module 3: Relational-Cultural Theory

Suggested Activities

Individual Activities

• Write a short reflection paper addressing the following points.

• In what ways do you see RCT as applicable to your social work practice?

• Which aspects—lifespan development, neuroscience, social justice—are most applicable to your social work practice and why?

Group Activities

• Small group discussions:

• What might happen when people from different cultures, life experiences, and languages come together during crisis and uncertainty? 

• What are the challenges and opportunities facing individuals and communities when this happens?

• How might individuals and communities deal with people perceived as different, “the other”, opposite, and maybe even the “enemy”?

• How can we address the shifts and changes that might occur in our area because of refugee resettlement—or even the possibility of refugee resettlement in our own communities?

Full Class Discussion

• Discuss summaries of small group discussions in the larger group.

 

 

Module 4: Introduction to Study and Interview Partners

Suggested Activities

Individual Activity

• View a specific interview video of your choice from those provided in this study and in a short paper discuss the following. 

• What did you learn from the person/people depicted in the video? 

• Summarize what you learned from a human rights perspective and/or a relational cultural approach.

Group Activity

• Discuss in class what you learned from the above video assignment.

 

 

Module 5: Voices of Refugees

Suggested Activities

Individual Activities

• Select one of the refugee videos—one you have not viewed for a previous assignment—and write a short reflection paper on: 

• Why you selected that video.

• What impacted you most about viewing and hearing what the refugee(s) said in that video about their experiences, challenges, hopes and messages?

Group Activity

• In class, identify others in your class who viewed the same video you did and participate in a small group discussion of what impacted each of you most about those refugees—their experiences, challenges, hopes, messages. 

• In class, full class discussion of what impacted each of you most about viewing and hearing of those refugees’ experiences, challenges, hopes and messages.

 

 

Module 6: Voices of Community Based Service Providers

Suggested Activities

Individual Activities

• Select one of the service provider videos—one you have not viewed for a previous assignment and write a short reflection paper on:

• Why you selected that video. 

• What impacted you most about viewing and hearing what the service provider(s) said in that video about their experiences, challenges, hopes and messages?

Group Activity

• In class, identify others in your class who viewed the same video you did and participate in a small group discussion of what impacted each of you most about those service providers—their experiences, challenges, hopes, messages.

• In class, full class discussion on what impacted each of you most about viewing and hearing of those service providers’ experiences, challenges, hopes and messages. 

 

 

Module 7: Implications for Social Work Generalist Practice

Suggested Activities

Individual Activities

• Write a short reflection paper on:

- In what ways do you see each of these sections—diversity and difference in practice, humanitarian rights, RCT/connection—as applicable to your social work practice?

- Which of those three sections do you feel is most applicable to your social work practice and why?

Group Activities

• In dyads, share an experience when you reached out to offer understanding and support to someone who you experienced as different from yourself. 

• What did you learn about this person? 

• What did you learn about yourself? 

• What did you learn about the two of you?

 

In large group/class

• In dyads, think of a time when you felt really connected to someone else. 

• What do you remember? 

• How did you feel? 

• What did you notice about yourself? 

• What do you know about the other person’s experience?

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Module 8: Implications for Social Work Policy

Suggested Activities

Individual Activities 

In a short paper:

• Identify three sources of power that influence policy in your community—ex. political, economic, people power. 

• How long have they been in positions of power?

• Do they appear to support human rights for all? 

• Do they appear to support social work values?

• How do you think they would impact refugees in your community?

In a short paper: 

• Identify the elements of a system that would be needed in your community to ensure all the rights of refugees are met?

• What sources of power would you need to connect with to carry out your plan?

Group Activities

In a small group:

• Identify three sources of power that influence policy in your community—ex. political, economic, people power. 

• How long have they been in positions of power?

• Do they appear to support human rights for all? 

• Do they appear to support social work values?

• How do you think they would impact refugees in your community?

In a small group:

• Identify the elements of a system that would be needed in your community to ensure all the rights of refugees are met?

• What sources of power would you need to connect with to carry out your plan?

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In class: Compare and contrast findings from your small group discussions about power in your community

 

 

Module 9: Implications for Clinical Social Work Practice

Suggested Activities

Individual Activities

Write a short reflection paper on 

• What skills do you think clinical social workers need in working with refugees?

• What specific areas of knowledge would you need to be an effective clinical social worker with refugees? 

• How useful do you think the C.A.R.E. program would be for clinical social work practice with refugees?

• How useful do you think the suggested C.A.R.E. suggested interventions would be for clinical social work practice with refugees?

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Write a short reflection paper on

• How important do you think self/relational-care practices are for you now?

• How important do you think self/relational-care practices will be for you as a professional social worker?

• How useful do you think the C.A.R.E. program is for your own self/relational-care?

• How useful do you think the C.A.R.E. program suggested interventions are for your own self/relational-care? 

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Group Activities

In small groups: 

• Discuss your findings from your reflection paper(s).

• Imagine you are a refugee. You have just arrived in a refugee shelter after walking for 45 days and traveling 3500 miles. 

• What would help you feel calm in your host community? 

• What would help you feel accepted in your host community? 

• What would help you know that you resonate with others in your host community? 

• What would help you feel energized and motivated in your host community?

• Imagine you are a member of a host community. A large number of refugees have arrived to your community. 

• What would help you feel calm in your relationship with refugees?

• What would help you feel accepted with your relationship with refugees? 

• What would help you know that you resonate with your relationship with refugees? 

• What would help you feel energized and motivated in your relationship with refugees?

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In Class

• Summarize and share the discussion from your small group experiences on being a refugee and how to find calmness, acceptedness, resonance, and energy with others in your host community.

• Summarize and share the discussions from your small group experiences on being a member of a host community with a large number of refugees arriving in your community and how to find calmness, acceptedness, resonance, and energy with them.

 

 

Module 10: What Can We Learn?

Suggested Activities

Individual Activities 

Write a short reflective paper on

• Your self/relational-care plan now?

• Your self/relational-care plan as a professional social worker?

• Skills and activities you use now to promote self/relational-care?

• Your plan to investigate other ways to promote self/relational-care?

• Your thoughts on the C.A.R.E and RCT’s “The Five Good Things”?

Write a short reflective paper on

• How did you view refugees in the past?

• What experiences have you personally had with refugees?

• Are you aware of family members who were refugees?

• What do you know about any refugees in your family’s past or present?

• What more do you feel you need to learn about refugees and the issues they face?

Group Activities

Small group activity: Discuss

• How can you promote wellbeing and inclusion of refugees in your community?

• What specific action steps can you take as a social worker/social work student?

• What area(s) would you focus on—generalist practice, policy practice or clinical practice?

• What resources are needed in your community to promote the wellbeing and inclusion of refugees in your community?

In Class

Discuss findings from the small groups.

 

 

Module 11: Looking Ahead: Think Global—Act Local

Suggested Activity About The Ongoing Dislocation of People

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To promote your understanding of the current ongoing situation in the US, identify and describe a community in the USA that is actively resettling refugees now. You may wish to contact community-based service providers in the community to schedule interview(s) to gain information about how they are resettling refugees. After reviewing the resources and information available in this community, please describe in a short paper how social workers can participate in working with refugees and community based service providers in the community to foster wellness and inclusion. 

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Social Work Generalist Practice

List and describe three ways social workers could assist with refugee/dislocated people resettlement in this community.

1.

2.

3.

Social Work Policy Practice

List and describe three ways social workers could assist with policies to address refugee/dislocated people’s wellbeing in this community.

1.

2.

3.

Social Work Clinical Practice

List and describe three ways clinical social workers could assist with clinical assessments and interventions to address refugee/dislocated people’s wellbeing in this community

1.

2.

3.

 

The Impact of Dislocation on Refugees and Host Communities

Social Work Generalist Practice

List and describe three ways social workers could assist with refugee/dislocated people’s resettlement to address its impact in this community.

1.

2.

3.

Social Work Policy Practice

List and describe three ways social workers could assist with social policies to address the impact of refugee/dislocated people’s resettlement in this community.

1.…

2.

3.

Social Work Clinical Practice

List and describe three ways clinical social workers could assist with clinical assessments and interventions to address the impact of refugees/dislocated people in this community

1.

2.

3.

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The Resiliency of Those Affected by Refugee Resettlement

Social Work Generalist Practice

List and describe three ways social workers can support social interventions and programs that strengthen relational resilience with refugees/dislocated people, community service providers, and residents in this community.

1.

2.

3.

Social Work Policy Practice

List and describe three ways social workers can advocate for social policies that support relational resilience with refugees/dislocated people, community service providers, and residents in this community.

1.

2.

3.

Social Work Clinical Practice

List and describe three ways clinical social workers could assist with building relational resilience with refugees/dislocated people, community service providers, and residents in this community

1.

2.

3.

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Module 12: Personal and Professional Impact of this Study/Curriculum

Suggested Activities

Individual Activities

In a short reflection paper:

• Describe three new insights you learned about the experiences of refugees from this study.

• Describe three new insights you learned about the experiences of service providers for refugees.

• Describe three new insights you learned about yourself (like the American students on the study abroad).

• Describe three ways you can get involved with these issues.​

In a short reflection paper:

• Describe how your view of refugees has changed from hearing the voices of the interviewees.

• Describe three ways your view of U.S. policy on refugees and asylum has changed.

• Describe how you see yourself promoting the purpose of the social work profession as indicated in the CSWE 2015 EPAS statement. 

• Describe three ways you will get involved with these issues.

Group Activities

• Discuss in class new insights you have from completing the short reflection paper described above on those insights.

• Discuss, in class, how your views of refugees and U.S. policy on refugees and asylum has changed as well as how you see yourself getting involved as indicated in the CSWE 2015 EPAS statement.