Implementation Evaluation of Community-Based Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Intervention for Refugee Newcomers in the United States

Table 1

CB-MHPSS group intervention curriculum.

Week	Topic	Overview of content	Session outline
Session 1	Introduction: welcome, safety, and connection	Introduce participants to the group, foster safe space to describe confidentiality, and identify what participants want to discuss or share during group sessions	1A: “welcome and Introduction to the group”; 1B: “check-in”; 1C: “develop group guidelines”; 1D: “here and now grounding activity”; 1E: “home practice and closing”
Session 2	Raising awareness and the mind body connection	Provide information about common reactions to living during a collective trauma and stress responses. Participants will discuss ways to stay well and practice a relaxation exercise	2A: “check in”; 2B: “defining crisis and stressful life events”; 2C: “emotions and the mind body connection”; 2D: “discussion on stress and stress management during a pandemic?”; 2E: “mindfulness activity”; 2F: “home practice and closing”
Session 3	Emotional health and wellbeing, fostering resiliency, and connection	Discuss common emotional health reactions, describe how mental health is discussed across cultures, and dialogue about stigma and stereotypes. Participants will also describe ways families (or communities) are staying connected during difficult circumstances	3A: “check in”; 3B: “brainstorm what is mental health and wellbeing”; 3C: “defining mental health”; 3D: “traditional beliefs and perceptions about mental health”; 3E: “activity: body awareness finger tapping”; 3F: “home practice and closing”
Session 4	Family dynamics and wellbeing	Explore the impact of the family (or community) dynamic and emotional wellbeing. Identify signs of caregiver strain, engage in practices to enhance self-care, family/social connection and bonding, and build community resilience	4A: “check in”; 4B: “importance of family wellbeing”; 4C: “supporting children”; 4D: “triple-A approach to happiness and love”; 4E: “practices to relieve caregiver stress and strain”; 4F: “family and community resilience building?”; 4G: “home practice and closing”
Session 5	Maintaining traditions and healthy living	Generate individual and community wellness plans, share practices for healthy living, identify ways to support others, and continue practicing traditional practices to support wellbeing	5A: “check in”; 5B: “healthy living practices and seated yoga”; 5C: “nutrition”; 5D: “healthy eating tips”; 5E: “generate a personal and community wellness plan”; 5F: “home practice and closing”?
Session 6	Integration and connection	Continue sharing practices for healthy living, discuss the cultural adjustment process, and practice ways to support wellbeing with others and strengthen community resilience	6A: “check in”; 6B: “culture shock and the adjustment process”; 6C: “cultural integration discussion”; 6D: “community wellbeing strategies”; 6E: “demonstrating compassion for others”; 6F: “reflecting on histories and cultivating hope for the future”; 6G: “home practice and closing”
Session 7	Practicing coping techniques	Describe how trauma and adversity affects our minds and bodies and learn some tools to use in daily life to manage difficult emotions and reduce the negative impacts of stress, trauma, or living through a collective trauma	7A: “check in”; 7B: “what is trauma and adversity”; 7C: “flight, flight, freeze”; 7D: “body awareness activities”; 7E: “home practice and closing”
Session 8	Building hope and helping others	Build for the future with hope and with strategies to continue nurturing self-care, community wellness, and support for one another	8A: “check in”; 8B: “community guest presentation”; 8C: “virtual hope wall”; 8D: “five senses in the “here and now””; 8E: “strategies to increase social support and connection”; 8F: “role playing activity”; 8G: “planning for the future and wrapping up”; 8H: “home practice and closing”
Session 9	Celebration	Honor each other, strengths, cultures, beliefs and the effort of being together in a support group during challenging times. Participants will discuss ways to stay connected to one another	9A: “check in”; 9B: “the river and the bridge”; 9C: “ending the support group and celebration”