“Knowledge emerges only through invention and re-invention, through the restless, impatient, continuing, hopeful inquiry human beings pursue in the world, with the world, and with each other.”
Recent Teachings
Graduate courses
Critical Social Work and Refugee Studies
Community Organizing
Advocacy and Empowerment in Social Work
Non-profit evaluation techniques: focus groups and key informant interviews
Psychosocial Capacity and Skill Development Curriculum
Psychological First Aid, Train the Trainer for Afghan Team, Women for Women International, Dec. 2022
Psychological First Aid for Staff, Train the Trainer Manual, Women for Women International, Oct–Dec. 2022
Certified Peer Recovery Mentor: A Refugee and Immigrant 40 hour training curriculum. Jan. 2022 Key Recommendation and Guidance for Staff Care, Women for Women International, Aug–Jan. 2022
Self Care Workbook, A Self-paced workbook for global teams of Women for Women International, Aug–Jan. 2022
Women for Women International, Referral Pathways Capacity Building Training Series: Service mapping, Psychological First Aid, Self Care and Action Planning, September 2019–September 2020
HIAS, MHPSS Support Group Curriculum, Promoting Refugee Emotional Health and Wellbeing during Covid-19, curated and authored a 9 week support group curricula, July 2020
Lutheran Community Services Northwest, State of Oregon approved 80-hour “Refugee and Immigrant Refugee Peer Support/Wellness Curriculum.” 2017
Short Courses
Switchboard, International Rescue Committee, Supporting Refugee Clients’ Adjustment and Wellbeing: A Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Primer, co-designed a 12 hour training program, August 2021
RAICES, Capacity Training, Addressing Trauma & Emotional Health and Wellbeing among Newcomers Project, developed a 14 hour training curriculum, Sept–July 2021
HIAS, Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Guyana Capacity Building Project, developed a 16 hour MHPSS training curriculum for partners in the region, Sept-October 2020
Portland, OR, Non-Profit Institute, Portland State University, Culturally Responsive Focus Groups: Methods and Approaches, September 2019
Presentations & Workshops
Community Driven Workshops
Portland, OR, Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization, Movement Toward Trauma Informed Care, Youth and Family Approaches, November 2019
San Diego, California, National Conference: International Rescue Committee, Trauma Informed Care in Resettlement & Trauma Informed Care in Intensive Case Management, May 2019
Portland, OR, Non-Profit Institute, Portland State University, Program Design and Evaluation, November 2018
Portland, OR, North American Refugee Health Conference, Refugee Peer Support Model: A case example in Portland, Oregon, June 2018
Portland, OR, North American Refugee Health Conference, Distinguishing Screening from Diagnostic Assessment for Refugee Emotional Distress in Domestic Resettlement and Humanitarian Settings, June 2018
Portland, OR, Oregon Health Sciences University, Refugee Healthcare Conference, Language access: challenges and emerging practices, April 2018
Baltimore, MD, Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services, Trauma informed care interventions for unaccompanied refugee minors & Screening Unaccompanied Minors for Emotional Health Issues, May 2016
National Webinar, National Partnership for Community Training, Screening and Referral Pathways for Refugees, March 2016
National Webinar, Office of Refugee Resettlement, Promoting Refugee Emotional Well-being through Adjustment Support Groups, January 2015
Specialized Support and Technical Assistance
HIAS, Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Training Series, Promoting Emotional health and Wellbeing during Covid-19, Jan-July, 2020
Switchboard, International Rescue Committee, Trauma Informed Care: Preventing Crises and De-escalating Difficult Situations, National Webinar, January 2020
Switchboard, International Rescue Committee, Trauma Informed Care: Movement Towards Practice, National Webinar, January 2020
Writing & Research
Peer Reviewed Articles & Contributions to Research
Im, H., Verbillis-Kolp, S., Atiyeh, S., Bonz, A. G., Eadeh, S., George, N., & Malluwa Wadu, A. (2023). Implementation Evaluation of Community-Based Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Intervention for Refugee Newcomers in the United States. Health & Social Care in the Community.https://doi-org.proxy.lib.pdx.edu/10.1155/2023/6696415
Im, H., Verbillis-Kolp, S., Kim, S., Bonz, A. G., & Mustafayeva, S. (2024). A multilevel modeling analysis of community-based mental health and psychosocial support group intervention for refugee newcomers in the United States. Cultural Diversity & Ethnic Minority Psychology. Advance online publication. https://doi-org.proxy.lib.pdx.edu/10.1037/cdp0000729
Verbillis-Kolp, S, Yotebieng, K. Farmer, E., Freidman, E, Hollifield, M. "Community participatory translation processes for mental health screening among refugees and forced migrants." Traumatology 2022
Hollifield, M., Toolson, E. C., Verbillis-Kolp, S., Farmer, B., Yamazaki, J., Woldehaimanot, T., & Holland, A. (2021). Distress and resilience in resettled refugees of war: implications for screening. International journal of environmental research and public health, 18(3), 1238.
Rema, S., Farmer, B., Gray, A.E, Verbillis-Kolp, S. (2020) Refugee Mental Health Screening, In Annamalai, A. ,(Ed.) Second Addition, Refugee Health Care: An Essential Guide, New York, NY: Springer.
Hollifield M, Toolson E, Verbillis-Kolp S, Farmer B, Yamazaki J, Woldehaimanot T, Holland A. The validity and importance of the Refugee Health Screener – 15 (RHS-15). J Nerv Ment Dis. 2016 January
Hollifield M, Verbillis-Kolp S, Farmer B, Toolson EC, Woldehaimanot T, Yamazaki J Holland A, St Clair J, Soohoo J. 2013 The Refugee Health Screener-15 (RHS-15): Development and validation of an instrument for anxiety, depression, and PTSD in refugees. Gen Hospital Psychiatry, 35(2):202-9.
Verbillis-Kolp, S. 2013 Refugee Mental Health Bibliography- Partnered with Association of Refugee Health Coordinators, Refugee Mental Wellness Work group and Gulf coast Jewish Family and Community Services under the National Partnership for Community Training
Reports
HIAS Needs Assessment, Wellbeing of Asylum Seekers in New York City and Washington DC area, Feb-March, 2024, access here: https://hias.org/publications/needs-assessment-wellbeing-asylum-seekers-new-york-city-and-washington-d-c-area/
HIAS, Women’s Empowerment Promising Practice, Pathways to Work Clearing House, 2023
RAICES, Final Report, Addressing Trauma & Emotional Health and Wellbeing among Newcomers, Standard Operating Procedures and Workflow Development, and Strategy Sessions, Sept.–July 2021
HIAS, MHPSS Support Group Training Annex and Replication Guidance, May 2021
HIAS, MHPSS Capacity Training Guyana Project, Case Management Guidance, Training Manual, Final Report and other Tools for localization, October 2020
Women for Women International, Survivor Centered Referral Pathways Guidance, Standard Operating Procedures, Executive Summary, Literature Review, Case Management Guidance, and Final Report April 2020
Annual Report: War Survivors Institute 2018
Executive Summary: Enhancing IOM’s Refugee Mental Health Assessment Programme (mHAP): Uganda Pilot, (2018) War Survivors Institute in collaboration with International Organization for Migration and the Centers for Disease Control.
Lutheran Community Services Northwest 2014, Walking Together: A mental health therapist guide to working with refugees.
UNIFEM Currents Newsletter “Impact of the Tsunami Disaster on Women Migrant Workers.” February 2005
“You are social workers. You are joy builders. You are coalition creators. You are the ones who hold the line when the rest of the world forgets where it was drawn. When the system tells you to shrink- stand taller. ”