Availability
Lebanon
Centres work on various levels, e.g.
community-based refugee programmes,
programmes with specialised international
agencies, such as UNHCR, and in places of
detention
USA
Australia
Thirty-four centres, across 15 states and
Washington, D.C., provide rehabilitation as
part of the National Consortium of Torture
Treatment Programs (NCTTP)
Historical and cultural expectations that
the state must take responsibility for the
provision of services
Of these, 24 centres have a comprehensive
torture treatment programme; five centres
offer legal or other support
Funds available through the Torture Victim
Relief Act, distributed by the Office of
Refugee Resettlement. Also limited federal
funding, funding from UNVFVT, state
grants, foundations, corporations and individual donations
Universal availability of good basic
health and social services
Support to survivors of torture or
trauma provided by the FASTT network
of rehabilitation centres, funded by the
Department of Health and Ageing
Centres aim to provide long-term counselling and other support to high-need
torture and trauma survivors and assist
them to access mainstream services
Appropriateness
Focus on psychological and social rehabilitation as part of the resettlement
process. Less work on legal redress or
reparations
Treatment tailored according to individual’s needs, e.g. family therapy used for
many refugees
Refugees often see resettlement as the
only solution, which can affect their
response to certain kinds of therapy
Refugees face additional pressures, which
can hamper rehabilitation, e.g. feelings
of injustice, hopelessness, guilt, separation
from family
National data is systematically collected
across centres in the NCTTP
More research planned to study effectiveness of treatment methods for best practice
development
Centres provide case management with
ASTT using a strength-based model that
aims to empower the victim to realise his/
her own needs
Holistic services, including psychosocial
counselling, advocacy, empowerment
and recovery, psychiatric/GP clinics,
child and youth programmes, complementary therapies, training of other
service providers and capacity building
in communities.
Most victims are not in first country of
asylum (in contrast to Lebanon) meaning
trauma is often not at the acute stage
Accessibility
Open-ended services recognise that
symptoms of torture may reappear
and full rehabilitation can be a lengthy
process
Challenge of accessing unregistered refugees who need urgent treatment
A growing number of refugees places
pressure on the ability of services to
provide support to all who need it
There is a severe difference between
availability of social services (food,
housing, medical care) for asylum-seekers
compared to refugees
Torture treatment services are limited
All centres experience long waiting lists
Few asylum-seekers in detention have
access to legal support and even less
have access or support from rehabilitation
centres
Medical care in detention is lacking
Safe environment for victims and staff
Challenges associated with treating
refugees or asylum-seekers, e.g. loss of
identity, separation from family, cultural
and linguistic barriers
Distinction between conditions faced
by refugees and asylum-seekers, many
of whom are detained. Safety issues
around working with detained asylumseekers and challenges with working in
a non-therapeutic environment
Increased demand means long waiting
lists to access services
Right to Rehabilitation for Torture Victims, Beirut, Lebanon – 27/28 June 2013
13
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