This page compiles resources featured in the IRMHP course that are relevant for service providers working with immigrants and refugees. Below are links to tools, reports, promising practices, policy pages, and other resources that correspond to the course’s ten modules.
Click the headings below to jump to that section.
Module 1: Immigration and the Social Determinants of Health
Information on immigrants and refugees in a Canadian context, including reports, government resources and fact sheets that focus on immigration in Canada and the social determinants of health.
Module 2: Introduction to Mental Health
Questionnaires and assessment tools that are relevant for recognizing mental disorders that immigrants and refugees populations commonly experience.
Modules 3-5: Mental Health Needs of Key Populations
Resources relevant to the unique mental health needs of six key immigrant and refugee subgroups: women, children, older adults, survivors of torture, LGBTQ2I+ people and persons living with disabilities.
Module 6: Treatment and Support
Networks, toolkits, and organizations with promising practices to help facilitate daily encounters with immigrants and refugees. These resources focus on providing trauma-informed care, essential communication skills and client support.
Module 7: Health equity and anti-oppression
Resources related to the dynamics of working with immigrants and refugees from different races, cultures and ethnic backgrounds, with a focus on tools to examine power and privilege.
Module 8: Service delivery and pathways to care
Practical resources on immigrant and refugee delivery and access to care. These resources highlight promising practices, government programs, and guides for interpretation services.
Module 9: Partnerships and mental health promotion
Frameworks, coalitions, best practices, and techniques to support your work in mental health promotion and developing partnerships.
Module 10: Self-care
Guides, frameworks, and tools to support cultural competence, self-care and continuing education.
Module 1: Immigration and the Social Determinants of Health
Policy
Immigration and Refugee Protection Act
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) set the conditions that govern who enters and who remains in Canada. Canada’s immigration program is governed by the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and its regulations.
Permanent resident program: Economic classes
Instructions for processing applications submitted under economic classes, for which applicants are selected on the basis of their ability to become economically established in Canada.
Permanent resident program: Non-Economic classes
Instructions for processing permanent residence applications submitted under family-related and humanitarian classes, for which applicants are selected on the basis of family-reunification, social and humanitarian objectives.
Resettlement from outside Canada – determine your eligibility
Information on coming to Canada as a refugee – through the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), a designated referral organization, or a referral from a private sponsorship group.
Claim refugee protection from inside Canada
Information on the services and information available for making a refugee claim from within Canada.
Refugee appeal division
Information on the Refugee Appeal Division, which is relevant to those who have not received a positive decision from the Refugee Protection Division.
Humanitarian and compassionate: processing in-Canada applications
Information on the procedures involved in the Humanitarian and Compassionate application process.
Pre-removal risk assessment - refugee claims in Canada
Information on the eligibility and application process for the pre-removal risk assessment – which is intended for those who are facing removal from Canada.
Reports
2022 Annual Report to Parliament on Immigration
Provides the Minister with an opportunity to consistently report on key details for permanent resident admissions, temporary resident volumes, aspects of inadmissibility as well as gender-based analysis.
Social determinants of health: the Canadian facts
Presents a spectrum of existing inequities in health in Canada.
Resources
NewtoBC: Community Immigrant Demographic Profiles
Information about the population in the communities of British Columbia, the national and provincial immigration trends,
Refugee resettlement facts
A fact sheet, developed by UNHCR, outlining the process and programs related to resettlement in Canada.
Tools
Comprehensive Ranking System Tool
Helps calculate Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) scores, which assess the viability of economic class candidates.
Mental Health Care Acts by province/territory:
Alberta
British Columbia
Manitoba
New Brunswick
Newfoundland and Labrador
Nova Scotia
Northwest Territories
Ontario
Prince Edward Island
Yukon
Module 2: Introduction to Mental Health
Tools
Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9)
A commonly used screening tool for depression in primary care, is particularly useful for working with immigrants and refugees. It is also available in multiple languages.
PCL-C-17
A standardized self-report rating scale for PTSD comprising 17 items that correspond to the key symptoms of PTSD. It can be modified to fit specific time frames or events.
Harvard Trauma Questionnaire A checklist that inquiries about a variety of trauma events, as well as the emotional symptoms considered to be uniquely associated with trauma. Questions 1 through 16 of the PTSD portion are particularly relevant.
Resources
Assessments for trauma and mental health in refugees
Outlines different tools, including scales, questionnaires, inventories and checklists, which are applicable to refugee populations.
Modules 3-5: Key Populations
General resources
Abuse is wrong is any language:
A booklet intended for immigrant and refugee families experiencing any type of family violence, or service providers addressing these issues.
Legal Aid Program
A cost-shared program that provides contribution funding to the provinces and territories for the delivery of legal aid services for economically disadvantaged persons.
Ontario 211
A database that provides necessary information to navigate the network of human services quickly and easily in Ontario.
Women
UNHCR - Guidelines on international protection: Gender-related persecution
Outlines legal interpretative guidance for governments, legal practitioners, decision-makers and the judiciary, carrying out refugee determination in the field.
Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada: Chairperson Guideline 4: Gender Considerations in Proceedings Before the Immigration and Refugee Board
A document demonstrating that gender-related persecution is a form of persecution which can and should be assessed by the Refugee Division panel hearing the claim.
Family Dynamics
An organization that operates seven neighbourhood family resource centres within subsidized housing developments throughout Winnipeg.
Calgary Immigrant Women’s Association (CIWA)
An organization that supports immigrant and refugee women, girls and their families, and offers more than 50 programs supporting settlement needs, language and employment training, family matters etc..
Newcomer Centre of Peel:
A multi-service charitable non-profit organization that assists the entire newcomer family in achieving settlement and integration within the Region of Peel and beyond.
International Women of Saskatoon, Just4Women
A womens' only program designed to provide gender-sensitive support services to women who are vulnerable to the risks of isolation, domestic violence and lack of access to support networks for socio-economic participation.
Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants: Initiative to End Gender-Based Violence
Provides resources, education and leadership to the immigrant and refugee serving sector and the broader community on gender-based violence prevention and survivor support.
Children
Caring for Kids New to Canada
A resource for health professionals and others who care for immigrant and refugee children, youth and families. It offers evidence-based information, including a section on mental health and child development.
Navigator Program – Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario
This program helps to better support the unique needs of refugee children and their families and includes partnerships with community agencies including settlement service-providing organizations.
Enhancing mental health promotion and wellbeing of newcomer children, youth and families in Manitoba
This report, developed by the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority’s Immigrant & Refugee Mental Health Working Group, focuses on the mental health and emotional well-being of immigrants and refugees.
Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada: Chairperson’s Guideline 3: Child refugee claimants
These guidelines address the specific procedural issue of the designation of a representative and the more general procedural issue of the steps to be followed in processing claims by unaccompanied children.
LGBTQ2+
Mental health challenges for LGBT asylum seekers in Canada
This information sheet outlines the mental health challenges of LGBT asylum seekers in Canada and is intended to be a resource for service providers who work with this population.
Guidelines for Psychological Practice with Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual clients
This outlines 21 guidelines that are intended to inform psychologists’ practice and to provide information for the education and training of psychologists regarding LGB issues.
Rainbow Health Ontario
A program of Sherbourne Health Centre, is a hub for providers, news, social, research and resources relevant to LGBTQ2+ populations.
Canadian Mental Health Association: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans & Queer identified people and mental health
This article outlines specific information related to the mental health of LGBTQ populations, including: what are the main factors that impact mental health, the importance of intersectionality, and relevant facts and figures.
APA Guidelines for Psychological Practice with Sexual Minority Persons
Practical guidelines for working with LGBTQ2+ people.
Older Adults
Seniors on the Move
An initiative of BEST (Better Environmentally Sound Transportation), a nonprofit charitable organization in BC that aims to activate better transportation options.
Alzheimer society: Information in other languages
Provides information about Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias in other languages.
Alzheimer society: non-English resources
Frequently used brochures that have been translated to make important information more widely accessible.
Finding Your Way
Helps people living with dementia, their families, caregivers and communities to recognize the risk of going missing, be prepared for incidents of going missing, and ensure that people with dementia can live safely in the community.
Alberta: Transportation Alternatives for Alberta Seniors
Outlines alternative transportation options in different communities.
Survivors of Torture
Vancouver Association for Victims of Torture (VAST)
An organization that provides counselling, documentation and referral services for refugees, as well as province-wide education, information, referral and case consultation for health and social service providers working with refugees in British Columbia.
Canadian Centre for Victims of Torture (CCVT)
An organization that provides services to survivors of torture and their families in the Greater Toronto Area and links to other services.
Volunteer Befriending Program
CCVT's Volunteer Befriending Program is a promising practice that supports survivors’ ability to establish social ties, leading to community-building and promoting settlement and integration.
When your patient is a survivor of torture
This article provides firsthand recommendations from a survivor of torture.
Stop Torture
An Amnesty International initiative dedicated to ending torture practices across the world.
Torture Victims in the Context of Migration: Identification, Redress and Rehabilitation
A 2017 report by the United Nations Human Rights Commission.
Persons Living with Disabilities
Disability and/or rehabilitation services by province and territory:
Alberta
British Columbia
Manitoba
New Brunswick
Newfoundland and Labrador
Nova Scotia
Northwest Territories
Ontario
Prince Edward Island
Yukon
Module 6: Counselling and Case management / Treatment and Support
Resources
Best practices in settlement services - Government of Canada
A website showcasing best practices in settlement services to inform organizations, governments and individuals working with newcomers about programs taking place across Canada and around the world.
Trauma Toolkit
Outlines recommended practices that will help service providers and organizations increase their capacity to deliver trauma-informed services.
The Forensic Mental Health System in Ontario: An information guide
Provides detailed information about the forensic mental health system in Ontario, the process and how to access help for clients.
Community mentoring programs
Programs that foster cross-cultural awareness between newcomers and the local host community, bringing together diverse cultural groups to share and learn from each other.
Five steps to mental wellbeing:
The U.K. National Health Service's guide to promoting strategies for mental well-being
Promising Practices
Community Airport Newcomers Network
Offers individualized reception, orientation, information, and referrals for immigrants. It also offers specialized services as needed for government-assisted and privately sponsored refugees.
First Steps Early Years Refugee Settlement Program
Serves newly-arrived refugee children, ages birth to five, along with their caregivers in the Lower Mainland area of BC. The program aims to reduce the impact of trauma on the development of children, ease integration and provide parenting information in the Canadian context.
The Gateway Project:
Trains medical students in cross-cultural medicine by engaging them in community action. The program also focuses on improving access to health care for refugees arriving in Newfoundland.
Vancouver Association for Survivors of Torture (VAST)
Provides services such as trauma counselling, and psychosocial education to help refugees in their settlement process. VAST also provides a psychosocial support group for refugees working through their refugee claims.
Madison Community Services
Offers a range of community-based, holistic services through its Recovery during Immigration and Settlement (RISE) program. The program addresses the mental health and settlement challenges of immigrants and refugees who experience substantial stress during their settlement process.
Module 7: Health equity and anti-oppression
Resources
Dismantling Anti-Black Racism: A Strategy of Fair & Just CAMH:
CAMH and the Anti-Black Racism and Mental Health Advisory Committee created the “Dismantling Anti-Black Racism Strategy.” It identifies key priority areas at the organizational, staff and clinical level, and includes 22 actions that aim to decrease anti-Black racism at CAMH.
Canadian Research Institute for the Advancement of Women
Provides several downloadable resources on specific intersections such as women and poverty, race and gender, and a discussion of intersectional feminist frameworks.
NewtoBC: Community Immigrant Demographic Profiles
Using Census 2016 data, identifies, analyzes, and compiles data related to immigration and developed 16 community demographic profiles.
City for All Women Initiative: Advancing Equity and Inclusion: A Guide for Municipalities:
A guide produced City for All Women Initiative, in collaboration with municipalities, women’s organizations, academics, local and national organizations from across the country.
The Canadian Research Institute for the Advancement of Women
Provides several downloadable resources on specific intersections such as women and poverty, race and gender, and a discussion of intersectional feminist frameworks.
Tools
Project Implicit
A non-profit organization and international collaborative of researchers who are interested in implicit social cognition. Its “implicit association test” allows you to assess your unconscious bias.
AAISA: Building Champions of Anti-Racism and Anti-Islamophobia: A Practice Guide for Alberta’s Settlement Community:
A practical manual of principles, tools, resources and case examples can help professionals, organizations, government, or communities address racism and Islamophobia at an individual, community, or systems level.
The opportunity agenda: Ten tips for putting intersectionality into practice:
A practical starting point for social justice advocates, policymakers, journalist, and researchers interested in incorporating an intersectional approach in their work.
Promising Practices
My Script My Voice:
This project supports young people facing Anti-Asian racism, and was initiated by researchers from the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work, University of Toronto, the Asian Canadian Living Archive and Hong Fook Mental Health Association.
Module 8 Service Use Pathways to Care and Interpretation
Resources
Addiction and mental health information and services
Provides links to information and resources on mental health, substances and addiction in Alberta.
Mental health and substance use
Provides information on mental health services and resources offered across British Columbia, including educational resources, prevention programs, early intervention initiatives and recovery and treatment options.
Cultural consultation: Considering the other in mental health care by Laurence J. Kirmayer, Jaswant Guzder and Cécile Rousseau
A book that explores the practice of cultural consultation as a strategy to improve the quality of mental health care for diverse populations.
MOSAIC – Interpretation and translation
Coordinates over 300 language specialists working in more than 80 languages to provide the public and private sectors with professional interpretation and translation services.
Interpretation and Translation Services Calgary
Offers services in over 85 languages, translating documents and providing interpreters to support newcomers and organizations. All of our translators and interpreters are highly qualified with professional accreditation and first-language experience.
Language bank services, Immigrant Centre Manitoba
Has over 400 translators and translators registered with them, with over 50 different languages.
Government of Nova Scotia website
Provides an overview of mental health services in Nova Scotia.
Access Alliance Language Services
Provides translation services, and face-to-face and remote interpretation services to a diverse range of public sector organizations.
Reports
Mental health strategy for Canada
A report that outlines the key recommendations for improving care for immigrants, refugees, ethno-cultural and racialized groups to improve access to, and the quality of, mental health care.
Common mental health problems in immigrants and refugees
An article that identifies risk factors and strategies in the approach to mental health assessment and to prevention and treatment of common mental health problems for immigrants in primary care.
Supporting the mental health of refugees to Canada
A background report that provides evidence-informed information and best practices for a coordinated mental health response.
Policy
Interim federal health program: summary of coverage
Provides information on the Interim Federal Health Program – healthcare coverage initiative for refugees in Canada.
Promising Practices
Transitional health clinic for refugees
Provides preventative health and primary medical services for government assisted refugees, privately sponsored refugees and refugee claimants in the greater Halifax area.
Crossroads Clinic
A program at Women’s College Hospital that aims to provide comprehensive primary care that is responsive to the unique and unmet needs of refugees during their first two years in Canada.
BridgeCare Clinic
Provides a single point of access for the initial health assessment and primary care services for newly arrived, government sponsored refugees.
Mood Disorders Association of British Columbia (MDABC)
The MDABC model of care offers a “one-stop shop” for psychiatric assessment and follow-up services for family physicians; this improves efficiency and reduces costs per client visit.
Rapid Access Addiction Medicine (RAAM)
An integrated care model in Ontario that is led by a psychologist and family physician in consultation with community partners; this eliminates wait times (same-day treatment), reduces alcohol-related emergency department visits and increases client connections to additional community services.
Queens Family Health Team in Nova Scotia
Offers co-location of mental health and primary care services; this improves the ability to deal with complex cases and client encounters and provides access to mental health counselling services for clients in a familiar environment.
Guides
Navigating mental health services in Toronto - a guide for newcomer communities
This guide is intended both for people dealing with mental illness or mental health problems and for their friends and families. It is meant to help them understand the mental health system.
National standard guide for community interpreting services
Outlines the core competencies and ethical principles for interpreters.
A Guide for Professionals Working With Immigrants & Refugee Children & Youth.
Produced by Caring for Kids New to Canada, this mental health promotion guide aims to increase personal resilience by building on protective factors, and to decrease risk factors through care, counselling and the reduction of inequities.
Mental Health Promotion Integrated Service Model.
Developed by Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants (OCASI), this program aims to build the capacity of newcomer and refugee services to promote mental health and newcomer wellbeing and respond to mental health issues within their organizations.
Tools
Cultural Formulation Interview (CFI)
Health care providers can use this tool, developed by the American Psychiatric Association and the DSM-5 Cross-Cultural Issues Subgroup, to gather essential data to produce a cultural formulation.
Overview of health care coverage for refugees and immigrants
Alberta
British Columbia
Manitoba
New Brunswick
Newfoundland and Labrador
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Northwest Territories
Nunavut
Ontario
Prince Edward Island
Yukon
Module 9 Mental Health Promotion and Partnerships
Resources
Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion
Identifies five action areas that are essential for health promotion strategies.
Canadian Doctors for Refugee Care
A group of physicians and other health service providers who united to share resources, do research and advocate for health coverage for refugees.
Simplifying the Journey Project
The Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario developed a framework that organizations can use to improve equity of access to services for marginalized populations.
Here to Help
This website, developed by a coalition of seven agencies, provides information about mental health promotion initiatives.
The Opening Doors Project
Uses unique story-telling techniques in presenting workshops to agencies and the community, which are aimed at strengthening, fostering and cultivating healthier communities in Ontario.
The Journey to Promote Mental Health
A training program that aims to enhance the capacity of community workers from the settlement service sector in addressing and dealing with mental health issues presented by the individuals they serve.
Publicly viewable database of support services and agencies for newcomers
Provides a list of free services based on your location (postal code, city or full address).
Kids new to Canada – Community resources
This list will help health professionals become familiar with services, relevant to immigrant and refugee families, in their province/territory or region.
Peel Newcomer Strategy Group (PNSG) – Interactive maps
PNSG, in partnership with the Region of Peel, created interactive maps indicating the location of services across the region. The services available include schools, settlement services, hospitals, faith-based institutions and early year services.
Abundant Community Edmonton project
This project uses neighbourhood leaders and connectors to better engage neighbours to build relationships, reduce social isolation, share their vision and increase safety.
Action for Neighbourhood Change
A partnership and learning initiative that explored and assessed approaches to locally-driven neighbourhood revitalization that can enhance the capacity of individuals and families to build and sustain strong and healthy communities.
Peel collaborative – Holistic crisis planning
These videos for service providers demonstrate counterproductive and productive approaches to engaging youth and families in crisis and safety planning. You'll see re-enactments in three different settings where youth and families may go to receive support for a mental health issue.
Reports
The Mental Health Strategy for Canada (2012)
The Mental Health Strategy for Canada offers recommendations to improve the mental health and well-being of immigrants and refugees in Canada with its Strategic Direction 4, Priority 4.2: Improve mental health services and supports by and for immigrants, refugees, ethno-cultural and racialized groups.
Guides
Culture Counts: A roadmap to health promotion best practices for developing health promotion initiatives in mental health and substance use with ethno-cultural communities
Identifies a best practices approach to health promotion in mental health and substance use with ethno-cultural communities. It aims to address how programs can address the needs of people from different cultural and linguistic backgrounds.
Framework for Mental Health Promotion
A resource developed by Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants (OCASI) to facilitate a more standardized level of service delivery for the settlement sector.
Summary and tip sheet of mental health promotion guidelines – OCASI
8 mental health promotion guidelines for agencies serving immigrants and refugees, developed by OCASI.
The REACH Multicultural Family Centre
Employs frontline workers who are trusted members of the communities they serve. The workers deliver culturally responsive programs and the centre hosts culturally diverse community groups to enhance newcomers social ties.
Muslim Food Bank and Community
A faith-based program that uses volunteer mental health case workers to address mental health and addiction issues within the Muslim community in the Greater Vancouver area.
Ottawa Newcomer Health Centre
A community-based health centre provides culturally relevant health and mental health services to Government Assisted Refugees.
Muslim Children's Aid & Support Services https://muslimchildrensaid.com/
An Ontario-based registered not-for-profit aimed at empowering Muslim and non-Muslim children and the most vulnerable while being guided by Islamic values.
Communitas Supportive Care Society
A faith-based organization providing care for those living with disabilities in communities across British Columbia. Services range from 24-hour residential care to skills-based day programs to respite care for families.
The service collaboratives
Provincial System Support Program and local partners have established networks and created real change that improves the lives of people in a number of communities.
The Toronto Community Crisis Service
the City of Toronto launched mobile crisis response services to better support the community in responding to mental health crises.
Tools
Partnership Self-Assessment Tool
A questionnaire on different aspects of partnerships.
Impact-MPI Assessment Tool
This is a tool to measure individual and organizational motivation and capacity to engage in collaboration. The ultimate purpose in measuring partnerships is to build a strong and functional foundation in the partnership/collaborative to help groups reach their impact goals.
Mental Health First Aid
A training program designed by the Mental Health Commission of Canada to help individuals who are developing a mental health problem or illness, dealing with worsened mental health problems or illnesses, or in a mental health crisis.
National Muslim mental health conference
Annual event hosted by the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto, the Muslim Medical Association of Canada and Naseeha - Muslim Youth Helpline.
Pegasus Conference
A bi-annual conference organized by the Pegasus Institute that explores global health issues including climate change, environmental health, Indigenous health, nuclear disarmament, war and others.
Module 10: Self-care
Resources
Mental health and addiction supports
CAMH provides access to access to resources, psychotherapy and psychiatric services for health care workers impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Tools
The Professional Quality of Life Scale (ProQOL)
A validated, 30-item self-report designed for those in the helping professions. It provides ratings for compassion satisfaction/fatigue, burnout and secondary trauma.
Self-care plan
Template for creating a self-care plan that helps you prevent or cope with difficult feelings.
