MN REFUGEE WELLNESS

Hosted by:

The city of Ottawa

Description of the Training:

This 2-hour training supports frontline workers in integrating trauma- and Violence-Informed Care (TVIC) principles into everyday interactions with 2SLGBTQ+ communities. It emphasizes that safety and trust are shaped not only by past events but also by ongoing systemic realities, including colonialism, racism, homophobia, transphobia, and institutional barriers. Rather than viewing TVIC as a checklist, participants will explore how to co-create safer environments that affirm dignity and foster relational trust. A focused section addresses work with LGBTQ+ refugee claimants and asylum seekers, recognizing the migration journey and post-migration challenges they face while navigating displacement and systemic barriers. Participants will work through practical scenarios to identify ways to integrate TVIC into their work, ensuring that service interactions support client autonomy, informed choice, privacy, and self-determination. The session concludes by outlining a multi-pronged approach to preventing burnout and vicarious trauma, including team supports and workplace policies designed to mitigate risk over time.

Training Objectives (Learning Outcomes) By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

1. Integrate TVIC within 2SLGBTQ+ service interactions: Translate TVIC principles into relational micro-practices that foster safer spaces and affirm dignity in frontline work.
2. Apply TVIC with LGBTQ+ refugee claimants/asylum seekers: Recognize how displacement and legal status can impact agency and perceived risk.
3. Identify sustainability strategies across levels: Identify feasible strategies from personal practices to team norms and workplace-policy options that collectively reduce vicarious trauma and burnout.