Digest- V8, I3 Full Issue

4 TPC Digest 4 Using the Multiphase Model of Psychotherapy, School Counseling, Human Rights, and Social Justice to Support Haitian Immigrant Students F or decades, the United States has been a haven of safety for many Haitian immigrants. The island of Haiti, considered the economically poorest country in the Western hemisphere, has experienced its share of hardships. The people of Haiti have been victims to not only political unrest and economic hardships, but have also suffered tremendously from the devastating effects of several natural disasters. The 7.1-magnitude earthquake in 2010, Hurricane Matthew in 2016, and most recently, Hurricanes Irma and Maria, have all left the island crippled, with little economic footing for revitalization. School counselors working with Haitian students and their families should strive to understand the significant social, psychological, and even academic challenges that these students may experience. Oftentimes, families are separated from each other after a natural disaster, so school counselors may be working with Haitian children who may indeed be separated from family. Additionally, with the most recent declaration by the Trump administration to end Temporary Protected Status for Haiti, many Haitian families have been living in a state of uncertainly regarding their status and that of their children. In this article, we introduce school counselors and other counselors working with Haitian immigrants to the Multiphase Model of Psychotherapy, Counseling, Human Rights, and Social Justice (MPM). This model focuses on culturally responsive interventions and integrates affective, behavioral, and cognitive strategies. We believe that this model can serve as a guide for counselors in developing a comprehensive school counseling program by promoting (a) mental health education; (b) individual, group, and family psychotherapy; (c) cultural empowerment; (d) indigenous healing and Western therapy; and (e) social justice and human rights. Through the use of the MPM, counselors are encouraged to view psychological support services not only from the traditional, Americanized counseling lens. Instead, the model challenges counselors to understand trauma from a global perspective, recognizing that psychological distress is handled differently by varying cultures. Thus, counseling services cannot be scripted to fit the traditional model, but rather should be specialized, integrative, and unassuming. Although this article was written specifically with Haitian students and families in mind, we believe that school counselors can use the MPM approach to support other immigrant groups within their school population. School counselors have an important role in advocating for their students, but they must be willing to do so from a culturally responsive lens. That means meeting immigrant students where they are and finding the tools to support them. It also means going beyond the school counseling office to community representatives in order to activate systemic change. We believe that school counselors have the training and knowledge to do just that by being leading agents of change. M. Ann Shillingford is an associate professor at the University of Central Florida. Seungbin Oh, NCC, is a doctoral candidate at the University of Central Florida. Amanda DiLorenzo is a doctoral student at the University of Central Florida. Correspondence can be addressed to P.O. Box 161250, Orlando, FL 32816, Dr-S@ucf.edu. M. Ann Shillingford, Seungbin Oh, Amanda DiLorenzo