Case Study 2

Amira is a refugee from a country which has experienced a long period of civil war, with various factions in the country fighting for control. Amira's husband and two eldest sons were killed in front of her when the militia raided their village. Amira and her two younger children managed to escape, and with other survivors from their village made their way to a refugee camp in a neighbouring country. Amira spent five years in the camp, during which time her two children died from malnutrition and disease. Amira was also sexually abused in the camp. Amira came to Australia to live with a cousin three years ago. There are few members of her community in the town she is living in, and Amira struggles with learning English. Her cousin has brought her to your mental health service saying that Amira is becoming more withdrawn, is neglecting personal care, not eating, and saying she wants to die and be with her husband and children. This began after Amira saw a programme on television about war atrocities in her country.

For each of the above case studies, you are required to:

1. Develop a safety plan for each person according to your organisation's requirements
2. Discuss how you would address trauma issues in relation to each person by answering the questions below.

Your safety plan must include:

• Resources and strategies to minimise the risk of suicide, and
• Any other services and/or individuals who could form part of the plan.