The Intercultural Psychiatric Program

Abstract

The Intercultural Psychiatric Program was originally founded in 1978 at Oregon Health and Science University to provide specialized mental health care for immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers in the Portland area. Although initially with humble beginnings, the program has endured through various challenges over the years and has further expanded in response to growing numbers of foreign-born populations settling in the area. Many of the same program concepts and therapeutic approaches, including its unique treatment team model linking psychiatrists with counselors who are culturally and linguistically matched to their respective patient populations, have proved timeless and beneficial for staff and patients alike. At the same time, there have been other programmatic adaptations required in the face of funding challenges, evolving local and state health authority mandates, changes in refugee populations, and the growth in awareness of the needs of this complex patient population. The program has come to be widely recognized as a leader in cross-cultural psychiatric care for refugees, medical student and resident cross-cultural psychiatric education, and research in the field of rehabilitation of torture and severe trauma. This chapter highlights the history, evolution, and treatment approaches of the program.