A Systematic Review of Social Service Programs Serving Refugees

Abstract

Purpose: The global forced migration crisis calls for responsive, research-supported social services. This systematic review examines available research on social service programs implemented with refugees worldwide. Methods: Through accessing academic databases, reviewing article reference lists and websites, and contacting experts, we identified 1,402 sources, 68 of which met review inclusion criteria and were selected for analysis. Results: Studies were conducted primarily in high-income countries ( n = 57). Programs examined were related to general adaptation ( n = 13), relationships ( n = 20), financial and employment support ( n = 15), or a specific area such as sport or gardening ( n = 20). Few studies used pre–post ( n = 6) or experimental designs ( n = 1), and in a majority of studies, the theory underlying the intervention was not specified ( n = 41). Discussion: Additional research is needed to better understand social service programming with refugees, particularly in understudied contexts.

Clinicians as advocates amid refugee resettlement agency closures

“…These agencies provide resettlement services including housing placement and employment assistance to promote self-sufficiency as soon as possible. The agencies also provide newly resettled refugees with vital resources for social services, and especially important, interpretation services [ 38 ]. Because the USA admits refugees from over 150 countries, culturally and specific language- and dialect-tailored services are critical–and even more so as refugee populations are increasing in diversity.…”

“…Agency staff can promote communication between designated refugee clinic staff and the resettlement agency and frequently work closely with nearby healthcare providers, using their familiarity with supplemental resources and services–such as nutrition and health services listed in Table 1 [ 38 ]. Answering the call to integrate social care into health care delivery—a call championed by organizations like the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine—may help bring together resources within the primary care setting to support refugee patients [ 38 ].…”

“…They often have culturally and linguistically competent staff to help connect knowledgeable community members with recently arrived refugees. When refugees no longer receive resettlement agency services during their initial resettlement period, E-CBOs attempt to fill refugees’ needs for longer-term support and services for the community without regard to duration of stay in the USA [ 18 , 38 ].…”

Social work with refugee and displaced populations in Europe: (dis)continuities, dilemmas, developments

“…A relatively well-developed literature exists in formal social work on the predicament of applicants that are eventually granted some form of international protection, after a 'successful' application in place or as a result of resettlement from third countries (Popescu & Libal, 2018;Shaw & Funk, 2019). Indeed, getting a status does not necessarily eliminate the need for social support.…”

Disability, violence, and mental health among Somali refugee women in a humanitarian setting

“…The humanitarian sector has developed protection and response programmes to address the physical and psychological health needs of violence survivors and often separately, programmes to address the needs of people with disabilities. However, these two sectors are still in the nascent stage and the programming and evidence base rarely overlap, leaving large gaps in understanding how these services can become more inclusive and best meet the specialised needs of survivors with disabilities (Mirza, 2015 ; Shaw and Funk, 2019 ; Stern et al ., 2020 ). This gap in the evidence base is noteworthy and understanding this intersection – disability, gender, violence, and mental health – is urgently required to address the needs of violence survivors with disabilities so that they may have equal opportunity to access appropriate services that meet their needs.…”