Somali American United Council of Arizona

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:

  The Somali American United Council of Arizona, a non-profit organization, was formed in July 2006 in response to the growing need to connect Somali communities in Arizona with each other and the rest of the American society.  The Somali American United Council of Arizona fills a critical need by helping newly arrived families adjust to their new lives, location, language, and culture. The mission of the Somali American United Council of Arizona is to promote better understanding between the Somali refugee community and other American communities, and help members of the Somali community properly integrate into the mainstream American society while preserving their own culture.

  This Somali population, the majority of who are underserved and disadvantaged refugee women, is left with the difficult task of trying to integrate to American culture. Many of the Somali refugees have experienced trauma and suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and respond with a variety of symptoms, such as depression, anxiety, flashbacks, misplaced anger, and feelings of disconnection from the world.  These symptoms often result in traumatized people who feel very passive and “shut down,” overly aggressive, or unable to concentrate.   The Somali American United Council of Arizona envisions programs that address the cultural barriers that prevent refugee from utilizing the resources available to them.  

  Finally, the Council serves as a model for other non-profit organizations working with refugee communities and immigrant populations.  By building a foundation and structure of best practices, the Council always shares these learning with other non-profit organizations to help them build programs designed to address cultural barriers and emotional trauma.