Refugee Trauma Clients with Suicidality: The case of Nadia
Suicide and suicide risk is higher amongst people who have experienced trauma. People from refugee backgrounds, and particularly those currently seeking asylum in Australia face additional challenges and stress, placing them at increased risk compared to their Australian born counterparts. Working in often risk adverse contexts, within neoliberal models, in a politically heated landscape, addressing and aiming to prevent suicide in a counseling context can prove challenging.
In this presentation Tess Reddel STARTTS Direct Service counsellor will present a case study of a female asylum seeker aims to highlight these challenges and offer an approach to working with this population and suicide risk that reframes these behaviors in the context of trauma.
The presentation outlines the use of safety planning and risk assessment and the critical importance of collaboration and focusing of client strengths to ultimately begin to rebuild stability and safety.
