In 1991, civil war raged in Somalia and the country’s infrastructure began to disintegrate. Since then, millions have fled the violence and instability. Many Somali refugees have settled in the United States; Ohio now has the second largest settlement of Somali refugees in the country. Most of these refugees reside in the Columbus area, where numerous outreach services have been developed. The Somalis are one of many refugee populations that have enrolled children in Ohio schools. In such cases, there is often little or no warning of the children’s arrival and thus little time to prepare a comprehensive school-based service delivery plan. The purpose of this article is to inform school psychologists of specific stressors faced by refugee children and to describe school-based plans that can help meet their needs. (Description from source)
