Utah begins to welcome hundreds of Afghan refugees, health care providers and social service workers need to understand how to care for these new immigrants in a culturally competent and compassionate way. Afghanistan is a large country with complex, diverse cultures. Though it is important to have general knowledge of this community's background and cultures, we need to remember to work with the individual, assessing individual beliefs and practices.
Avoiding stereotypes and assumptions
One of the greatest ways we can welcome people of refugee background is by avoiding common stereotypes. Without an intimate knowledge of Afghanistan’s different cultures, languages, religions, and customs, we run the risk of making assumptions about our new patients. Instead of relying only on the media for information that could be inaccurate or one-sided, we can encourage patients to share their experiences and beliefs with us.
Many assume that refugees are not educated. We see people from various backgrounds, some that come from smaller towns and villages, and others that come from the city. Some people are highly educated, and others maybe have received a sixth-grade education. Education varies significantly, so maintain an open mind and be willing to learn about their background. Even if people may have limited formal education, they have a wealth of knowledge and skills from many other sources of learning.
Even highly educated refugees essentially start from square one. People unconsciously treat them as if they don’t know anything. We think that, just because someone doesn’t know English, they must not know anything else. One person we work with has a PhD in Civil Engineering. Even though he knows a lot about U.S. culture and Afghan culture, he’s struggling to find a job because people assume that he is uneducated.
Afghan women, especially, suffer from these stereotypes. Many believe that women are uneducated and mistreated.
If we step back from these assumptions, we can allow patients to share their own narratives with us.
As a society, we also often label refugees as needy or lazy, and that they came here for money, state health care and food stamps. In truth, they are being forced to flee their country. Just traveling here is incredibly stressful. Their entire experience, from the plane ride, to locating the clinic, making appointments, finding case workers and providers, and just navigating the whole resettlement process, is overwhelming and traumatic. Implementing a trauma-informed care approach and being sensitive and culturally aware are essential.
While most Afghan refugees are Muslim, we must understand that every culture has their own religious interpretation. As a non-Muslim provider, it can be difficult to differentiate between their religion and culture. We can better care for Muslim patients if we ask permission and involve them in the conversation.
Respecting cultural needs may be as simple as asking female Muslim patients if they prefer female practitioners. You can also work with the pharmacy to provide HalalHalal is an Arabic word meaning lawful or permitted. In reference to food, it is the dietary standard, as prescribed in the Qur’an (the Muslim scripture). options, or prescriptions free of animal products and alcohol.
Providing compassionate and culturally competent care
As providers, we are responsible for creating an environment grounded in cultural awareness and sensitivity. We can lay the framework for compassionate care by educating ourselves first, checking out CDC refugee health profiles and doing basic background research on our patient’s culture prior to appointments.
There's a lot of diversity within Afghanistan—it’s not a very homogenous country. While most citizens speak one of the two official languages, Pashto, and Dari, some use a handful of other languages, including Uzbek and Balochi. One way to support patients is by making sure the translator speaks the correct dialect.
Above all, we must be prepared to offer refugee patients comfort through compassionate trauma-informed care. As with many refugees, Afghan patients were forced to abandon their home, and that distress can trigger anxiety, depression, and PTSD. Since mental health is considered taboo in many communities, refugees may struggle to open up about their experiences. As with any patient, we can establish trust through empathy and compassion. Try building trust in the following ways:
- Look at the patient, not the interpreter, during conversations.
- Involve your patients in the conversation. Showing respect can be asking permission before you begin any procedure.
- Learn how to greet them in their native language, or use the universal Muslim greeting, “As-salamu alaykum.”
- Since family is very important for most Afghans, ask patients about family members.
The last few years have left many of our workers struggling with compassion fatigue, inertia, and burnout. We’ve seen so many patients fighting to overcome adversity, and sometimes we feel helpless. It’s easy to forget the strength and persistence it has taken to get this far. As we prepare to embrace these new patients, remind yourself – and them – that we are resilient.
Sometimes when you come to a new environment, you don't feel like you belong. Let’s help instill that sense of belonging for these new residents by modeling empathy and understanding.
We can restore hope by appreciating the different cultures and traditions these families bring to our community. We need to treat every individual with respect and dignity and be open to learning from their experiences.
Resources:
- Afghan Evacuees Health Resources: Infectious diseases
- CDC Guidance for Clinicians Caring for Individuals Recently Evacuated from Afghanistan
- Translated documents in Pashto/Dari/Farsi/English for Health conditions
- Webinar - MN Department of Health on Caring for Afghan Patients
- Webinar - Creating a Welcoming and Healing Environment for Newly arriving Afghan Children and Families
- Webinar - Psychological First Aid (PFA) to Support Clients Affected by the Crisis in Afghanitan
Understanding Resettlement and Refugee Health
- Utah Department of Health Refugee Health Program
- Cultural Competency Powerpoint for Health Care Providers by OHEDI and UUHP
- CDC Immigrant and Refugee Health
- Switchboard Resettlement Experts Webinars and Resources
Local Resources for Patients and Care Teams
- The Mayor’s Office for New Americans: Resource center
- The Refugee Center/Refugee Services Office: Resource center
- The International Rescue Committee: Resettlement agency and resource center
- Catholic Community Services: Resettlement agency and resource center
- Asian Association of Utah – Refugee and Immigrant Center: Secondary migration agency and mental health resource
- Utah Health and Human Rights: Mental health resource
- Take Care Utah: Medicaid/Marketplace enrollment assistance
- Utah Immigration Collaborative: Legal services for the community
- University Neighborhood Partners: Hartland resource walk-in Center
Wagma Mohmand
Anna Gallegos
Abdulkhaliq Barbaar
The transition from using the term "refugee" to "New American" is just another way University of Utah Health is creating an inclusive and welcoming environment. Redwood Health Centers' Chantal Taha and Marissa Higbee, along with Patient Experiences' Anna Gallegos share the importance of using this new language.
The month of Ramadan has begun for many our Muslim patients, and with it comes questions and concerns from health care providers about how to care for patients who are fasting. Project administrator Anna Gallegos and physician assistant Wagma Mohmand consulted with religious and community experts to walk us everything we need to know about Ramadan and how to care for our diverse Muslim population.
University of Utah Health Transgender Health Program’s Ariel Malan and family physician Erika Sullivan discuss the Mountain West Transforming Care Conference, an annual conference held to promote LGBTQIA+ health and provider competency of caring for these communities.