These children are mostly Syrians (90%) although some Iraqis & 2 Afghan kids, who are in need to boost their English before next school year, are in. The Worldwide Mental Health is a Not For Profit Organization [with a pending 501(c)(3)], that was created in August 2016 by Missid Ghanem, MPH, Psy.D., Lebanese American Psychologist, in private practice in the Woodlands, TX since 1996. On Board, we
have Beverly Solomon, LCSW and Carolyn Harrison, M.Ed., LPC, both in private practice as well, in Houston and surrounding areas. Our general mission is to attend to the emotional wellness of individuals or populations that have been traumatized by catastrophic situations such as war or natural disasters. Our initial intention was to create a Task Force to assess and provide appropriate mental health interventions to the Syrian Refugee population (of over 2,000,000 refugees) in Lebanon. While working on that project and in the midst of data collection and program planning, Dr Ghanem gets a phone call from a local Middle School in Houston, TX, requesting assistance with 20 of their students who are Syrian refugees/Newcomers, described as truly struggling! Along with a colleague, Floreeda Chedid Lineman, LPC (herself Lebanese American as well), Dr. Ghanem met for couple months in weekly 2 hour sessions with the students at school and had a chance to meet with the parents as well. The wonderful engagement of the school teachers and principal was most inspiring and most educational. The therapy group sessions conducted were wonderfully received by both students and their parents; both students and parents shared most traumatic war experiences, and talked of the ongoing emotional turmoil. We also learned that the 20 students we were seeing at school, are but a sample of a larger population of possibly 500 Syrian refugee children in Houston! We soon began to realize that the children were significantly behind in school overall (4 grades behind in many cases, due to interrupted learning over the past few years) as well as in English, where they mostly place in the Beginner level. This has been clearly compromising their learning new materials…
In discussions with the school principal, among other things, we identified that intensive ESL classes during the summer for these kids is essential. By early May, the need for a Summer ESL Program was so clear that Dr Ghanem began, with the school principal, to explore what is available in the community in that regard; we looked into community centers around the city, met with all sorts of ESL experts and facilities… nothing was available to accommodate our high number of kids. We quickly discovered that we needed to create our own Program if the kids are to have any chance at getting the ESL strong help that they need (according to teachers and principals). Dr Ghanem's communiqué with the school and the principals was to relate to them that these KIDS & THEIR FAMILIES DO HAVE THE BACK-UP OF THE LOCAL AMERICAN SYRIAN, AMERICAN LEBANESE, AMERICAN ARAB AND THE GENERAL HOUSTON COMMUNITIES. If a Program was very strongly indicated by all those in the know, our unwavering confidence was and remain, that the community will find a way to make it happen for these kids. When Dr Ghanem was initially discussing with our future Donor (in mid May) his observations, findings and recommendation for a Summer ESL program, it was clear that we did not have time to do a "proper/former" fundraising for the Program and have the funds finalized before we even proceed with inventing and preparing the Program from scratch, including gathering the staff, teachers, putting together a curriculum, teachers training, all the volunteers that would need to be recruited. For a rigorous Program to emerge and for the kids to get it in time, we had to get to it right away. Without as much as a blink, he was generous and kind enough to encourage us and urge us to move forward with this much needed Program as he pledged to take care of helping finance it, strengthening our sense of support from the community as a whole, especially when it comes to these beloved youngsters, their beloved youngsters and their critical needs. He understood that it was not even optional whether we make this Program available or not. The kids need it, as testified by the teachers, principals, the kids themselves and their parents, and we were all intent on making sure we deliver. A rigorous curriculum is being developed and tailored, teachers trained, a parallel activity curriculum with healing (while ESL-mindful as well) components is being developed as well, and activity leaders trained. As the letterhead suggests, SOH is now staffed with Principal (Mays Kseibi, M.Ed,), Assistant Principals (Adam & Elham Yakot), Activity Curriculum Director/Therapist (Carolyn Harrison, M.Ed., LPC) in addition to Dr Ghanem, Program Developer and Director. The kids are truly in for a State of the Art Program. It will culminate in a graduation ceremony with speakers and fun. Dignitaries from the City of Houston are in on the Program and will be invited to the Graduation as well, to offer their own words of support and embrace to our refugees directly, and experience directly as well our embrace of them. At the time, the preliminary numbers suggested that we might pull it off for under 50K (thinking biggest expense would be the teachers and supplies); but as the Project began to take shape, it became clear that to offer the high quality Program that we can provide and that the kids deserve, the cost is more in the neighborhood of $100,000 (after relying already on much donations in supplies, volunteer and teachers and consulting time, and accounting for unexpected expenses). This much needed Summer of Hope Program is truly relying on the GENEROSITY of YOU and of the ENTIRE COMMUNITY for it to be the Success that these beloved youngsters, our beloved youngsters deserve and need. Anybody can also donate effortlessly on this FB Page. Please share the page. A fun animated video on the page also describes the SOH program and can easily be shared as well. We are trying to reach every Syrian refugee 10 y/o and above as they seem to be the ones most struggling with the Language barrier. Research in both Education and Psychology testify to the immense benefit of such an ESL program on education and learning, self esteem, self-worth, assertiveness, emotion regulation and processing and a sense of competence and effectiveness. In contrast to our collective sense of powerlessness and helplessness in relation to our beloved people overseas who are in harm’s way, It seems that we can suddenly exercise our power to come of assistance to these 500 children or so and their parents in fantastic ways. So easy to do. In contrast to our collective struggle to gather hope, we suddenly have the possibility to feel hope, at least in relation to these 500 children, in relation to their process of adjustment to their new environment… Hope for healing from the deep wounds of the war they witnessed and all the ugliness that comes with it… Hope that with the loving embrace of those among us in the community that may be more at ease, these hopes are ones that can easily be realized for these 500 children or so and their parents that we have in our very own City of Houston. A city that we have grown to love, and that we can help them grow to love it and thrive in it as well. Our Worldwide Mental Health is taking to heart these 500 children or so and their parents and we realize that the journey of healing that lies ahead can be quite challenging, difficult and lengthy; We are in it for the long haul. An Education Task Force as well as a Mental Health Task Force are in place already to monitor needs and progress in these areas. As recommended, various educational and healing programs/activities will be organized through the next few years; we will also continue to coordinate with and empower and assist the available volunteering networks in place; they are all such an inspiration! Your support to get to our Fundraising goal is most appreciated.
