Enhancing the Well-Being of Newcomer Children & Youth – Overview of the STRONG Program

By Amanda Kerry, Ph.D., C.Psych., Clinical Psychologist at Centre for School Mental Health

Quick Facts

Population of interest
The Supporting Transition of Newcomer Groups (STRONG) program is designed for newcomer children and youth who are social, emotional, or behavioural challenges that are often related to adversity and trauma experienced prior to arriving to Canada.

Location
Western University Centre for School Mental Health, London, Ontario

The need
London, Ontario has welcomed a large number of Syrian refugees over the years. Many of these families experienced difficult and traumatic events prior to, and during, their journey to Canada. As these children and youth entered the school system, many understandably struggled with the transition to a highly structured environment – where they were not only unfamiliar with the language and routine, but many were also experiencing symptoms of trauma. Schools quickly recognized that more culturally responsive mental health services were needed to adequately address the needs of newcomer students.

About the intervention
The STRONG program was co-developed by Dr. Sharon Hoover and colleagues from (Centre for School Mental Health in Maryland) and experts from the Centre for Childhood Resilience in Chicago. Importantly, this program was also co-developed and reviewed by newcomer community members.

In 2018, Western University’s Centre for School Mental Health piloted and began evaluating STRONG in a Canadian context. STRONG is an evidence-informed, structured, mental health intervention for newcomer students to support their transition to a new school and community. STRONG was initially developed to be implemented in schools. In London, Ontario, in response to community feedback, we also offer the program in partnership with local community organizations that serve newcomer families.

The program is comprised of 10 child/youth sessions. Participants are also invited to participate in a structured individual session to discuss their journey to Canada, with a focus on strengths and resilience.

Recognizing the important role of caregivers, we developed five supplemental parent sessions to strengthen their skills to support their children during the transition to life in Canada.

STRONG is co-facilitated by a regulated mental health professional and an allied staff (e.g., settlement worker). The resources have been translated, and sessions are often mediated by a translator. Referrals are reviewed to determine appropriateness of fit, and considerations related to group composition.

STRONG is grounded in cognitive behavioural therapy, and guided by trauma-informed, strength-based, and culturally-responsive practices. Structured sessions include psychoeducation, experiential activities, and opportunities to share personal experiences.

What is Promising?
The STRONG program provides newcomers a welcoming environment to connect, share, and learn together. Learning is bi-directional—not only among participants, but also between participants and facilitators. Through the STRONG program, facilitators gain meaningful insights into the unique strengths, cultural traditions, and community practices that support the resilience of the children, youth, and families they serve.

Key Takeaway
The STRONG group provides children, youth, and their parents the opportunity to have their strengths, wisdom, and existing skills celebrated, build a sense of belonging with peers, and learn knowledge and strategies to enhance their capacity to respond with resilience.

Feedback

Evaluation of the STRONG program involves pre- and post-surveys with the children and youth, as well as separate post-program focus groups with the children/youth, parents, and facilitators.

Youth: Young people reported enjoying the group and increased coping skills, self-confidence, and peer connectedness.

“It was really fun. I did enjoy every session that I was in. I liked all the discussions and the way that we learned things.”

Parents: Caregivers reported perceived benefits in their children/teens; feeling more confident in their parenting skills, and increased sense of connection with other parents.

“It was very important to meet the people who have the same issues that I have. And for me, it was very important to share my experience and listening to them about their situation. It was like an exchange of all the feelings. For me, it was very important.”

Facilitators: Facilitators reported increased capacity to support newcomers, and they valued the experience of working in an interdisciplinary team (e.g., mental health clinician, settlement workers, interpreter).

In terms of quantitative results, while our current sample size is small, we are encouraged by the positive post-program gains. Generally, youth reported improvements in their social-emotional and psychological well-being.

About the Western University Centre for School Mental Health

The Centre was founded by the late Dr. Claire Crooks. Her vision and leadership, along with the commitment of colleagues and students earned the Centre’s recognition for children’s mental health both nationally and internationally. The Centre continues to collaborate with schools and community organizations to scale and sustain the implementation of evidence-informed and evidence-based mental health programs for children and youth.