2023 Edition

Task Force News & Updates

Refugee Empowerment Task Force

The Refugee Empowerment Task Force (REFT) has significantly contributed in the scientific world, delivering publications, as well as oral and poster presentations related to the focus are of ACRM REFT:

1. Trimboli, C., Abdo, S., Mirza, M., Black, M., Smith, Y., Christopher, C., & Huot, S. (2023). Global perspectives on migration and forced displacement: Theory, research, and practices for enacting an occupation-based approach. Journal of Occupational Science, 1-9.
2. Mustafa Rfat and others, Exploring the Intersectionality of Disability and Refugee Statuses: Reflecting on My Refugee Journey, The British Journal of Social Work, Volume 53, Issue 3, April 2023, Pages 1570–1579, https://doi.org/10.1093/bjsw/bcad024
3. Mustafa Rfat & coauthors (2023). A Scoping Review of Needs and Barriers to Achieving a Livable Life Among Refugees With Disabilities: Implications for Future Research, Practice, and Policy. A scoping review that will be published at the evidence-based social work journal.
4. Mustafa Rfat & coauthors (2023). Parenting Challenges in Families of Children With a Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Qualitative Research in Istanbul. A qualitative study on autism in Turkey. Just completed reviewers’ questions and it will be published at the Global social welfare journal.
5. Mirza Mansha and colleagues (Apr 2023). Panel on Refugees and Health Disparities at UIC.
6. Mustafa Rfat (Nov 2023). U.S. Migration Policy as Public Health Policy and the Experiences of Disabled Migrants and Migrants in the Direct Care Workforce (Panel discussion). Panel and poster presentation at the AUCD conference. 
7. Mustafa Rfat (Nov 2023). Refugees With Disabilities Achieving a Livable Life: A Scoping Review (poster). Panel and poster presentation at the AUCD conference. 
8. Rawan AlHeresh (2023). Awarded international service award by American OT Association.
9. Mustafa Rfat, (Jan 2023). SSWR conference and presented a symposium on education equity in Afghanistan. 
10. Alve, Y. A., Islam, A., Hatlestad, B., & Mirza, M. P. (2023). Participation in Everyday Occupations Among Rohingya Refugees in Bangladeshi Refugee Camps. The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 77(3), 7703205060.
11. Trimboli, C., Fleay, C., Parsons, L., & Buchanan, A. (2023). Occupational Therapy Psychosocial Interventions for Middle-Childhood Aged Refugee Children in High Income Countries: Focus Group Perspectives. Occupational Therapy in Mental Health, 1-27.
12. Hillegass, S., AlHeresh, R., Samson, H., Ko, J., Vo, T., Young, M., & Alegria, M. (2022). Positive Minds for Refugees: A Qualitative Study to Inform Intervention Development. Community mental health journal, Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-022-01078-7 
13. Mansha M., Concettina, T. (Aug 2022). Global perspectives on migration and human displacement: Theory, research and practices for enacting an occupation-based approach. World Federation of Occupational Therapists (WFOT) pre-congress instructional course.  
14. Mansha M. & co-authors (Aug 2022). Enabling income‐generating occupations for refugees with disabilities: Formative evaluation of the PRIDE program. World Federation of Occupational Therapists (WFOT) pre-congress instructional course.  
15. Concettina, T. (Aug 2022). 3MT- The development of an occupational therapy intervention to promote psycho-social well-being in 6–12-year-old refugee children in high income countries. World Federation of Occupational Therapists (WFOT) congress presentation.
16. Concettina, T. (Aug 2022). Showcasing the work of the German occupational therapy association in response to forced migration. World Federation of Occupational Therapists (WFOT) congress presentation.
17. Mansha Mirza (2022). Disability in the Context of Humanitarian Confinement: Conversance, (Mis)Conceptions and Contestations. Association of French Anthropologists Study Day, Contemporary Forms of Humanitarian Containment.
18. Concettina, T. (May 2022). Commitment to occupational therapy in the context of forced migration. German Occupational Therapy congress poster.
19. Trimboli, C., Parsons, L., Fleay, C., Parsons, D., & Buchanan, A. (2021). A systematic review and meta-analysis of psychosocial interventions for 6–12-year-old children who have been forcibly displaced. SSM-Mental Health, 1, 100028.
20. Mansha Mirza, Rawan AlHeresh, Mary Black, Yda Smith (presentors), Contributors: Concettina Trimboli, Monjurul Shagar & Ariful Islam Arman. (Apr 2022). Community-Engaged Refugee Rehabilitation Programming Across the Globe. American OT Association Conference presentation.

COVID-19 Task Force

COVID-19 has generated different types of demands relevant to rehabilitation. The COVID-19 I-ISIG Taskforce, continues to expand and adapt to meet those needs. Members of the I-ISIG placed great efforts in recording and reporting the effects of the pandemic on rehabilitation, as well as contributing in how to better manage them. This interdisciplinary group of passionate researchers and service delivery providers contribute to ACRM and to the greater rehabilitation community globally through research publications, development of treatment programs, and collaborative networks. Programming at ACRM has been enriched in the past three years with pre-conference instructional courses, symposia and poster presentations. New in 2023 is an instructional education page to be published in the Archives on managing the emotional and thinking problems associated with Long-COVID. In addition, we are launching a short survey aiming to create a repository of self-identified COVID-19 networks across the globe and promote international collaboration in rehabilitation sciences. greatly affected the globe in many ways, including rehabilitation. We proudly present the work of our members, below.

Research suggests that a protracted reaction to SARS-CoV-2 infection, possibly via prolonged inflammation, may contribute to cognitive and mood impairments associated with long COVID. In collaboration with ACRM colleagues, Drs. Evan Cohen and Jacob Raber and investigators from Portland, Oregon and the James H. Quillen VA Medical Center in Tennessee, Dr. Jennifer Loftis will lead a longitudinal study with Veterans to identify biomarkers, genetic risk factors, and clinical endpoints associated with neurologic post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (neuro-PASC) progression and severity. Neuroimaging biomarkers for promoting brain repair and attenuating neuro-PASC symptoms will also be studied. Through this research supported by a Department of Veterans Affairs Merit Review award, Dr. Loftis and colleagues hope to advance the understanding of the long-term effects of COVID-19 on neuropsychiatric and neurological functions, identify clinically relevant biomarkers, provide evidence-based guidance for clinicians working with this unique population, and facilitate the development and testing of therapeutic interventions to treat neuro-PASC.

Recent COVID-related publications:

Loftis JM, Firsick E, Shirley K, Adkins JL, Le-Cook A, Sano E, Hudson R, Moorman J. Inflammatory and mental health sequelae of COVID-19. Compr Psychoneuroendocrinol. 2023 Aug;15:100186. doi: 10.1016/j.cpnec.2023.100186. Epub 2023 May 18. PMID: 37223650; PMCID: PMC10191701.

Damiano RF, Rocca CCA, Serafim AP, Loftis JM, Talib LL, Pan PM, Cunha-Neto E, Kalil J, de Castro GS, Seelaender M, Guedes BF, Nagahashi Marie SK, de Souza HP, Nitrini R, Miguel EC, Busatto G, Forlenza OV. Cognitive impairment in long-COVID and its association with persistent dysregulation in inflammatory markers. Front Immunol. 2023 May 23;14:1174020. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1174020. PMID: 37287969; PMCID: PMC10242059.

Dr. Lisa D’Angelo and Dr. Soumya Venkitakrishnan of California State University, Sacramento are now recruiting participants for a pilot treatment study for those with Long Covid “Brain Fog”. This IRB approved study funded by an internal research grant will include 20 participants over 18 who self-report Long Covid “Brain Fog”. The study involves a comprehensive pre and post-cognitive-communication assessment and auditory processing assessment via Zoom. Intervention involves intensive cognitive-communication therapy for one arm of the study, and the other arm involves the same treatment with the addition of auditory processing treatment. The cognitive-communication treatment will focus on selective and alternating attention, memory for new information, working memory, executive functions and word retrieval. The auditory processing treatment will involve auditory discrimination, temporal processing, competing information, auditory memory, and dichotic processing. The goal of this study is to identify interventions for the “Brain Fog” of those with Long Covid. For further information please contact dangelo@csus.edu.

Prof. Fofi Constantinidou and her team, including our member Dr. Eva Pettemeridou, have recently received a European grant to establish a scientific network that will tackle the needs of long COVID, thus forming the Brain Research and Integrative Neuroscience Network for COVID-19 (BRAINN). BRAINN will advance the research and innovation capacity of the University of Cyprus (UCY) as indicated in the ‘Widening Participation & Strengthening the ERA’ Work Programme, by twinning with three advanced partners in brain research, Maastricht University (UM), King’s College London (KCL), and Ghent University (UGent). Through networking activities, training and coordinated actions, BRAINN will develop an innovative applied neuroscience approach to characterise the effects of COVID-19 on brain health and to elevate the standards of assessment, diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of patients with mental health and cognitive problems due to COVID-19. Through interdisciplinary research and development of novel methods and technologies, BRAINN will contribute to personalised treatments. Additionally, BRAINN will contribute to the reduction in the burden created by COVID-19. The knowledge and methodologies produced will extend beyond BRAINN, since they will be applicable to other conditions affecting brain health, even when COVID-19 is eradicated.

Service Delivery Task Force

Comprising clinicians, researchers, and administrators hailing from every corner of the globe, this diverse assembly frequently receives invitations to present their groundbreaking work in North & Latin America, Europe, Asia, Africa and Oceania.

Our collective mission is to serve as a conduit for an international network of healthcare providers and financial backers, facilitating the exchange of insights into various service delivery models. Our overarching goal is to catalyze pioneering initiatives that promote evidence-based, cost-efficient, and culturally sensitive interventions.

This year, the Service Delivery Task Force has been dedicated to crafting a manuscript centered on cultural competency and humility within the healthcare domain, with a focus on educating the next generation of rehabilitation specialists worldwide. Simultaneously, the task force is diligently preparing to unveil a comprehensive study examining the global utilization of technology in the field of rehabilitation. Lastly, they are delving into the barriers and opportunities inherent in offering remote services and supervision to individuals, families, and trainees.