Addressing Trauma in Newcomer Children

Children who have escaped traumatic situations such as war, government collapse, famine, and persecution are at heightened risk for emotional instability. Amy Hill, LCSW, will address the cause and effect of traumatic events on refugee and asylum-seeking youth. Many of our BPB families and other newcomers experience PTSD in their resettlement journey.

Amy Hill, LCSW, has worked with refugee and asylum-seeking youth and families for over 15 years. In her 11 years with the youth program at RefugeeOne, a Chicago-based refugee resettlement agency, Ms. Hill grew the program to provide wrap-around academic, social-emotional, and mental health services for refugee children of all ages, as well as support for their caregivers navigating a new parenting landscape. She currently serves as the Program Manager for the Kovler Center Child Trauma Program, a program of the National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN), where she oversees all clinical, case management, and psycho-social support services for refugee and asylum-seeking youth and their families. Additionally, Ms. Hill has served on the Board of Directors for CircEsteem and the Chicago Burmese Community Association, and has volunteered abroad working with youth and refugees in Kenya, Guatemala, and Israel. She has a Masters degree in Child Development from the Erikson Institute and a Masters of Social Work from Loyola University.