Phila.gov
February 15, 2022
The City of Philadelphia Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual disAbility Services (DBHIDS) is excited to launch the DBHIDS Immigrant/Refugee Wellness Academy (IRWA).
IRWA is a free training program designed to empower and prepare Philadelphia’s multilingual/multicultural immigrants and refugees with knowledge, resources, and tools necessary to engage in activities that address behavioral health and intellectual disability challenges, trauma, and inequity experienced within the immigrant and refugee community.
The pilot cohort of IRWA is accepting applications through Feb. 28. This knowledge- and skill-based program will start March 22.
The benefits of this certificate program include behavioral health and intellectual disability knowledge and understanding, mental health interpretation skills, leadership and advocacy skills, and more. Training topics include:
- Mental Health First Aid
- Trauma-Informed Care and Wellness
- Suicide Prevention
- Opioid Overdose Prevention and Narcan Rescue
- Mental Health Interpretation
- Problem Gambling and Other Addictions
- Leadership and other skill building activities
For more information, email Sarorng “Rorng” Sorn, Director of Immigrant/Refugee Affairs and Language Access Services, at Sarorng.Sorn@phila.gov.
