The RHS-15 is a tool for screening refugees for emotional distress and mental health. Packet includes the RHS-15 tool, background on the tool’s development, and guidelines on using the RHS-15 with recently resettled refugees. RHS-15 has also been translated into Somali, Russian, Arabic, Burmese, Karen and Nepali.
Early screening and intervention for emotional distress among newly arrived refugees is rarely conducted. Existing instruments are not designed for refugees or may be cumbersome to administer in health care settings. The RHS-15 was developed in a community public health setting to be an efficient and effective way to sensitively detect the range of emotional distress common across refugee groups.
Pathways to Wellness is a project of Lutheran Community Services Northwest, Asian Counseling and Referral Services, Public Health Seattle & King County, and Michael Hollifield, M.D. Generously funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, United Way of King County, The Medina Foundation, Seattle Foundation, and the Boeing Employees Community Fund
Please see the screening tool in the sidebar. It is originally hosted on the Refugee Health Technical Assistance Center (RHTAC) website.