Meeting Students Where They Are:
Supporting Newcomer Youth Mental Health
The Center for Immigrant and Refugee Health (CIRH), in partnership with the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and the Office of Refugee Health (ORH), is proud to highlight the work of IRC Sacramento. This trusted partner provides culturally responsive mental health care and holistic support to Afghan refugees rebuilding their lives in California.
For many newcomer students, language, cultural, and stigma-related barriers make accessing mental health care in the United States difficult.
Recognizing the Need for Support
When MS, a 17-year-old student at a local high school, began struggling with her mental health, the signs were deeply concerning. She was withdrawing from school, refusing to speak with counselors or teachers, and trying to hide what she was experiencing. Her distress escalated to self-harm behaviors, which began to influence other students as well. The school and district recognized the urgency of the situation and reached out to IRC Sacramento for support.
Creating a Safe Space to Talk About Mental Health
IRC Sacramento developed a culturally responsive and student-centered outreach plan to build trust and encourage students to seek help. Recognizing that many newcomer students face barriers to understanding and accessing mental health care in the U.S., the team invited newcomer students to attend a Mental Health workshop. The workshop focused on what mental health means in the U.S., what resources are available, and how seeking support is safe, confidential, and effective. The team emphasized that mental health challenges are treatable and that no one has to face them alone, while also sharing contact information and peer-counseling services.
The impact was immediate.
Within two days of the workshop, multiple students reached out for support, including MS and the two other students.
MS participated in five individual sessions with IRC Sacramento's team, who encouraged her to connect with school counselors and psychologists, and supported her through the process of accepting professional help.
Over time, through consistent, compassionate care, the team observed meaningful improvements in her mood, behavior, and willingness to communicate.
The team also partnered with her mother and referred her to the Childcare Certificate Program to strengthen family support and stability.
Today
MS regularly attends her school-based counseling sessions, no longer engages in self-harm, and feels safe and confident asking for help and sharing her experiences.
This case highlights the power of early intervention, trust-building, and culturally informed support. By meeting students where they are and addressing both individual and systemic barriers to care, IRC Sacramento made sure that students know they are not alone and helped transform a crisis into a pathway to healing and resilience.
Centering Culture to Build Connection
At CIRH, we are proud to partner with IRC Sacramento in advancing culturally responsive mental health services that meet clients where they are, with empathy, respect, and understanding.
Through the Refugee Mental Health Initiative (RMHI), our partners provide holistic, linguistically appropriate care that supports the mental health and well-being of refugee communities.
