"Overview of Political Torture and its Consequences" and "Mental Health Assessment Basics" are topics of a free training session from 1 to 4 p.m. Friday, March 28, in Somers Lounge on the St. Scholastica campus. Everyone is welcome; this session is intended primarily for healthcare and social service providers. There is no fee to attend.

The session is the third in the "Getting to Know Our New American Neighbors" training series offered by St. Scholastica’s Social Work Program. It will be led by Heather Tracey, social worker and trainer at the Center for Victims of Torture in Minneapolis, and Marcia Runnberg, training series coordinator and assistant professor of social work at St. Scholastica.

During the first two hours of the session, participants will learn about the prevalence of torture, refugee and asylum experiences, and the emotional and mental effects of torture. The second part of the session will consider the unique aspects of mental health assessment for all refugee clients. There will be time for questions and answers.

Participants are encouraged to pre-register for training sessions online at http://www2.css.edu/app/depts/swk/. Three CEU credits are available at the door for $15 (cash or check only).

The New American Training Project is funded by the Duluth Superior Community Foundation and The College of St. Scholastica Social Work Department. Additional community sponsors include the National Association of Social Workers - MN Chapter, Duluth East Hillside PATCH, Duluth Adult Learning Center ESL Class and ESL Civic Involvement Project, and CHUM.

For more information contact newamericans@css.edu or visit http://resources.css.edu/academics/swk/newamericans/.

The final training session in the series will be a discussion on Hmong and Latino neighbors from 1-4 p.m. Friday, May 16, in Somers Lounge at The College of St. Scholastica. Community members are encouraged to attend.