Overview

Immigrants and newcomers are burdened by pre-migratory stressors combined with various post-migratory stressors related to their transition and settlement. Research highlights the prevalence of various mental health disorders among the resettled refugee population. One study estimates the presence of anxiety ranging from 4-40%, depression from 5-44%, and PTSD from 9-36% among resettled refugees in Canada (Kronick, 2018). This program aims to provide newcomers with brain-based interventions that help build inner resilience and positively rewire the brain to manage highly stressful experiences through comprehensive psychoeducation and daily self-care practices.

Content

The program consists of 28 hours of core content divided across seven sessions that address the following:

Session 1: The first session of Resilience Plus provides an overview of the program. Participants will complete the informed consent and confidentiality forms as well as a pre-test that provides an overview of each participant’s mental health status.

Session 2: The second session will review present-day mental health problems associated with transition and resettlement and the signs and symptoms of stress and trauma.

Session 3: The third session delves in-depth into the concept of safety, and its importance for the healing and recovery of newcomers with pre- and post-immigration stressors. Participants will learn how to use self-reflection tools to build self-awareness and an inner locus of control.

Session 4: During the fourth session, participants will learn self-regulation skills and techniques, how to implement them into daily practices, and how to manage lifestyle factors that contribute to self-regulation.

Session 5: The fifth session will examine the concept of self-efficacy and its influence on mental resilience. The session reviews the sources of self-efficacy and teaches participants how to build and maintain self-efficacy in challenging times.

Session 6: This session explains the significance of building a strong social support system for positive mental health. It guides participants on ways to strengthen their social network, particularly during stressful periods.

Session 7: The final session emphasizes building self-acceptance, a sense of purpose, and positive self-dialogue. It teaches methods of self-motivation and provides an overview of the program and the next steps.

 

 

Program outcomes

The Resilience Plus program strives to create possibilities by engaging participants in a lived experience that allows them to discover their own abilities and potential. Resilience Plus provides trainees with the resilience and the tools required to respond appropriately to stressful life conditions. At the end of the program, newcomers will gain many skills that include the following:

• Recognize the physical, emotional, and behavioral symptoms of stress and trauma.
• Understand the risk factors and stressors leading to stress and trauma. 
• Learn how to nurture an inner sense of safety and locus of control to facilitate the process of healing and recovery.
• Build emotional and mental self-regulation skills and abilities through lifestyle changes and proven daily practices, such as relaxation skills and deep breathing.
• Build inner resilience through brain rewiring principles and protective factors, such as nurturing more positive self-dialogue and strengthening your social support network.
• Increase and maintain self-efficacy levels through an in-depth understanding of the sources of self-efficacy and techniques for supporting self-efficacy.
• Understand self-care from a constructive development perspective.
• Use body-mind integration activities for brain nourishment.

Eligibility Criteria

The program is open to newcomers who have been in Canada for less than 5 years. 

Program delivery

The program will be delivered virtually with the possibility of organizing in-person delivery if circumstances allow. Training groups are capped at a maximum of 15 trainees per group.       

Prices

The cost of the Resilience Plus program for Immigrants and Newcomers is USD $300. We accept all types of payment methods, including Visa, Mastercard, cash, e-transfers, and PayPal. Please contact us if none of these methods work for you or if you would like to pay using a different method.

Discounts

 We offer a 25% discount for group signups, with a minimum of 3 members. 

Certification

At the end of the program, all trainees will receive a signed Certificate of Completion that verifies participation in this program.

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