VAST not only provides services to directly support refugee mental health, we also take a leading role in providing refugee mental health training and education, and advisory consultation for all refugee serving organizations in the Lower Mainland.
We are committed to building capacity in this sector, so as to respond effectively and safely to the complex mental health needs of new arrivals.
VAST is a member of the Canadian Network for Survivors of Torture and Trauma, the International Rehabilitation Council for Victims of Torture, Canadian Council for Refugees, AMSSA of BC, and The Multi-Agency Partnership (MAP).
We also provide onsite training for undergraduate and graduate students in partnership with the following universities: UBC, UNBC, Adler, City U (Seattle), and Vancouver Community College.
If you are interested in learning more about training and education, please get in touch.
We are grateful to our partners at Vancity for their support as we develop a Training Delivery platform that allows VAST to offer remote training in refugee mental health.
Training Modules and Programs
VAST offers the following training modules and programs:
| A Trauma-Focused Group Model for Refugee Mental Health and Refugee Trauma Recovery | Expressive Arts-Based Approach to Refugee Mental Health |
| Trauma-Informed Approaches to Working with Refugees | Working with Interpreters in the Mental Health Context |
Healing, Self-Care, and Sustainability for Refugees and Refugee Claimants:
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Supporting Refugee Mental Health:
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| Supporting Refugee Children | Safe and Appropriate Professional Boundaries |
| Cross Cultural Skills for Working with Refugee Populations |
Who Trains With Us
The following organizations have also trained with VAST: