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t m c » p u l s e | s e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 7 7 t m c » p u l s e | s e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 7 7 B y S h e a C o n n e l l y Seeking Refuge from Trauma Sophia Banu, M.D., directs Harris Health System's Clinic for International Trauma Survivors S everal patients wait in a nondescript room at Harris Health System's El Franco Lee Health Center. Their colorful clothing stands out in contrast to the sterile surroundings—some wear traditional attire from their home countries, while others are dressed in typical American fashion, a visible sym- bol of a new start in a foreign land. In the room are refugees from Myanmar (Burma), Bhutan, Iraq, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Sudan and other countries. All have come to Houston in search of a better life and all have come to this room seeking help for trauma. About 3 million refugees have been resettled in the U.S. since the Refugee Act of 1980 created standards for screening and admission. Houston, in particular, has been a safe haven since the arrival of thousands of refugees who left Vietnam by boat beginning in the late 1970s. Currently, refugees are fleeing their home countries at a record rate. There are 65.6 million forcibly displaced people worldwide, the "highest level of displacement on record," according to UNHCR, the United Nations refugee agency. To qualify as refugees, individuals must be able to demonstrate they were "persecuted or feared persecu- tion due to race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership in a particular social group," according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. As a result of the trauma they often endure, refugees suffer from mental health issues at a higher rate than the average population. "They may not necessarily have PTSD or major depression, but they may have symptoms of PTSD or depression that can be helped if we connect at the right time," said Sophia Banu, M.D., an assistant professor at Baylor College of Medicine and director of Harris Health System's Clinic for International Trauma Survivors. As countries worldwide seek ways to alleviate the growing mental health crisis among refugees, Banu's clinic offers help to the thousands of refugees who have settled in Houston. Inspired by her work at the Bellevue/NYU Program for Survivors of Torture, Banu set a goal of starting a similar program in the Texas Medical Center. "In the beginning, I would go to resettlement agencies to tell them about the clinic," Banu said. "I also trained caseworkers in how to identify clients with mental illness—'if they say this, make sure you call me right away.' Slowly but surely, the word spread, and it really started picking up in December 2013." (continued) They may not necessarily have PTSD or major depression, but they may have symptoms of PTSD or depression that can be helped if we connect at the right time. — SOPHIA BANU, M.D. Director of Harris Health System's Clinic for International Trauma Survivors Bhutanese refugees perform breathing and movement exercises during a group therapy session.