A Call to Action

Re-imagining Social Work Practice With Unaccompanied Minors

Bibliographic Data

ID2501396
AuthorsK Evans (0000-0001-9979-2105, Boston College, corresponding author), Kylie Diebold, Rocío Calvo (0000-0002-6303-9215, Boston College)
Year2018
Volume18
Issue3
Pages788-807
Publication date2018-09-18
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueAdvances in Social Work (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1527-8565 • E-ISSN: 2331-4125
PublisherIU Indianapolis University Library (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.18060/21643
OpenAlexW2893130577
LanguageEN
Citations received11
References cited30

In the decade leading up to 2012, approximately 8,000 Unaccompanied Minors (UAM) arrived annually at the Southwestern border of the United States. Since then, the number of arrivals has drastically increased, surpassing 14,000 between October 1, 2017 and January 31, 2018 alone. The needs of UAM concerning mental health, education, social, and legal counseling often differ from the needs of other Latinx and immigrant populations. However, recent instability in the protections and services tailored to UAM are channeling these youth and their families into mainstream agencies. This article is a call to action for social workers who may now encounter UAM for the first time in their practice. Drawing from almost twelve years of practice experience working with UAM and their families, as family case managers, community liaisons, program managers, grant administrators, and training facilitators, we review needs, services, and promising practices for social work practice with UAM. Recommendations include providing education to parents and caregivers about UAM's rights, U.S. laws and regulations, and service availability; building trust and rapport with families; creating welcoming schools; practicing cultural openness; hiring diverse staff; and fostering partnerships with local service providers

Business · Call to action · Immigration · Mainstream · Mental health · Openness to experience · Political science · Psychiatry · Public relations · Racism · Service provider · Sociology · Engineering · Homelessness and Social Issues · Law · Migration, Health and Trauma · Psychology · Racial and Ethnic Identity Research · Social Psychology · Social Work

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