Before coming to the United States, many immigrants and refugees have faced unimaginably difficult circumstances. War, violence, persecution, poverty, and disaster drive individuals and families from their homes every single day—and the trauma caused by these circumstances does not disappear as soon as those affected by it step on American soil.
Unfortunately, the mental health needs of immigrant and refugee adults and children are often unmet. Challenges such as cost, accessibility, language barriers, bias, and a shortage of providers mean that New Americans in need of mental healthcare are often underserved.
LIRS believes that mental healthcare is a critical part of achieving stability and success in the United States. Our new privately funded Mental Health Services programming seeks to offer essential care for immigrant and refugee individuals and children with the aim of helping New Americans realize their full potential as they develop coping skills and learn to identify and confront problems—resulting in holistic improvements in family stabilization, access to immigration legal protections, academic achievement, employment/economic stability, improved physical health, as well as reductions in family violence, substance use disorders, and involvement in the criminal justice system.
Our Mental Health Services
Individual Therapy for Adults and Children
Our multilingual licensed clinicians provide direct mental health services in a community-based setting in Baltimore, Maryland and Northern Virginia, with virtual options forthcoming. Services are trauma-informed, culturally competent, and evidence-based and treat a wide range of mental health difficulties, such as post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, and depression.
Our clinicians understand the refugee and immigrant experience and are committed to meeting our clients where they are while working toward improved outcomes and a brighter future.
Group Therapy
LIRS offers support groups for our clients, which provide a space to learn about various topics such as coping with the stress of migration, parenting in the US, adapting to a new culture, and more. The groups are also a way for clients to connect with other New Americans with similar experiences, build community, and receive support from clinicians.
Case Management
To help meet the needs of clients being served that cannot be addressed through therapy alone, LIRS employs case managers who help clients identify and coordinate resources, advocate for clients and provide crisis intervention services. The case managers work with each client to create a client-centered individual service plan with concrete goals, along with an outline of the resources needed to meet those goals. Case management services are part of an integrative and comprehensive approach to achieving optimal mental health for clients,
Extended Services
LIRS recognizes that housing instability, lack of access to medical care, food insufficiency, inadequate childcare, family violence, and other stressors have a negative impact on mental well-being and prevent clients from engaging in therapeutic services. We provide a holistic approach through a team of clinicians, case managers, assisting with mental health needs as well as help with finding employment, housing, access to immigration legal assistance, medical and psychiatric care and other service needs. LIRS will serve clients for an average of four months, with the ability to extend services based on the needs identified and the efficacy of treatment.
Support Mental Health Services
LIRS Mental Health Services are entirely privately funded, meaning we receive no support from the federal government. Your support helps us expand our services.
If you’re interested in learning more about how your organization can support Mental Health Services or offer Mental Health Services in your city, please contact giving@lirs.org.
Questions and Referrals
- For questions about the Maryland program, email migrantmentalhealthmd@lirs.org.
- For questions about the Virginia program, email migrantmentalhealthva@lirs.org.
- To refer a potential client to our Maryland program, click here.
- To refer a potential client to our Virginia program, click here.