Located at CAMH, the New Beginnings Clinic — a partnership with Women’s College Hospital’s Crossroads Clinic — gives refugees the culturally sensitive care they need and connects primary care providers with psychiatrists and social workers.

“Refugees need opportunities and a sense of hope based on community support,” says Dr. Branka Agic, CAMH’s Health Equity Manager and a key player in CAMH refugee initiatives. “In turn, refugees have tremendous capacity to enrich our society.”

In turn, refugees have tremendous capacity to enrich our society.”

The clinic is CAMH’s latest initiative in ongoing local, national and global efforts in refugee mental health. This year, the Refugee Mental Health Project trained over 1,200 Ontario service providers to better support refugees. Funded by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, the project is part of CAMH’s Health Equity Department led by Dr. Kwame McKenzie.

Drs. McKenzie and Agic also lead a Mental Health Commission of Canada project, a joint initiative with the Wellesley Institute, to improve mental health care for immigrants, refugees, ethno-cultural and racialized groups. As well, CAMH is partnering with the Canadian Centre for Victims of Torture, George Brown College and the Wellesley Institute to develop a program to improve access to higher education for refugees.

The urge to help has spread throughout CAMH. In February, employees and Board members reached their goal of raising $45,000 to sponsor a Syrian family. The New Beginnings Campaign was initiated by CAMH Board Chair Kelly Meighen.

“We know the CAMH community has a strong sense of social justice, a need to be involved, and a strategic goal to drive social change,” says Kelly.