Experts to Provide Insight on Domestic Violence in Refugee Communities

As refugee and immigrant communities in Cache Valley and Utah have grown, many social service agencies are grappling with how to effectively reach out to and serve these new community members. Research shows immigrants and refugees may be hesitant to seek help for fear of deportation or lingering distrust of their country of origin’s government.

“These barriers are particularly concerning in situations of domestic violence,” said Utah State University Social Work Assistant Professor Jessica Lucero. “Because in these situations, strong and effective relationships between clients and service providers are a matter of personal safety.”

Anna Z. Blau and Laura M. Mora from the International Women’s House will deliver a training entitled “Domestic Violence in Immigrant and Refugee Communities: Opportunities and Challenges for Practitioners” Monday, Oct. 16, at noon in Distance Education 012.

In conjunction with this training, back-to-back addresses will provide a global perspective of violence against women and children. These are free and open to the public.

• “A Breeze of Hope,” by Brisa DeAngulo, founder and CEO of A Breeze of Hope Foundation, Oct. 16 | 5 p.m. | USU Old Main 225
• “Making A Difference: What We Do Matters,” by Anna Blau and Laura Mora (both from the International Women’s House), Oct. 16 | 6 p.m. | USU Old Main 225
  Blau and Mora have over 60 years of combined experience in nonprofit work, the majority of which has been in the domestic violence field. The International Women’s House, based in metro-Atlanta, provides a safe haven and supportive services to women and children who are the victims of family violence, sexual abuse and human trafficking, with a focus on immigrants and refugees. Blau is a former refugee and Mora is an immigrant; together they use their unique professional and personal backgrounds to offer advice on interacting with diverse populations

The keynote is sponsored by USU Social Work’s Transforming Communities Initiative (TCI), in partnership with Kristina Scharp’s Family Communication and Relationship Lab, the Mountain West Center for Regional Studies and Fight Against Domestic Violence.

The Transforming Communities Initiative is housed in the USU Department of Social Work, and was cofounded by USU faculty members Jessica Lucero and Jennifer Roark. The TCI fuses research, teaching and action in an effort to build stronger communities in the state through partnerships with community-based organizations to identify, investigate and respond to the pressing needs in Utah’s communities.

Contact: Becca Huppi, TCI Support Staff, USU Social Work, becca.huppi@usu.edu