The New H 5 Model for the Care of Refugee Survivors of Mass Violence and Torture December 5, 2016

Richard F. Mollica, Harvard
Session: January 18, 3:10-3:30PM

It is a general consensus that current models of humanitarian assistance to refugees and their families can be greatly improved. The current focus on guaranteeing safety and protection along with basic needs (i.e. food, water, shelter) remains a top priority. Yet new concepts are emerging such as the H5 Model that creates bottom-up refugee policy aimed at health and mental health recovery and the restoring of wellness. The new H5 Model breaks down the silos of humanitarian assistance that are major barriers to improving the lives of refugee families. The H5 Model has at its center, the refugee’s Trauma Story with a focus on human rights, humiliation, (self)-healing, health promotion and habitat. The H5 Model offers a culturally valid and evidence-based approach to refugee assistance and recovery from mass violence and torture.