By Wanda Rosario
Ph.D. candidate
Doctor of Philosophy in Counselor Education and Supervision
When migrants arrive in a new city like Chicago, the immediate need for food, shelter, and safety is clear — but equally urgent is addressing their mental health needs, as many are recovering from often traumatic journeys and facing challenges resettling in an unfamiliar environment.
This spring, I witnessed these experiences firsthand during my internship at Faith Community Initiative. Their mission of equipping faith communities with tools to provide support and empower migrant families allowed me to support individuals navigating the complex challenges of adjusting to life in Chicago. The resilience I observed in these families — those overcoming trauma, displacement, and loss — deepened my own understanding of the concept.
Over the course of 10 weeks, I took on a range of roles at Faith Community Initiative, from providing translation services and conducting online housing searches to cold-calling realtors and arranging legal and medical appointments.
I also joined social workers on visits to homes and shelters, where we connected with residents and assessed their daily needs for clothing, food, physical health, and job opportunities. And as a doctoral student at Adler University with a background in counseling psychology, I was able to draw on my training to create a safe and supportive space where migrants felt heard and understood.
Much of what I encountered during these sessions was related to post-traumatic stress disorder and severe depression. Even children as young as three years old and teens were experiencing anxiety and depression — some of which wasn’t due to their past, but their present, like being bullied at their new schools.
This experience debunked my own personal misconceptions. Like most of us, I had preconceived notions about what it was like to be a migrant in America.
But this internship changed that — and it also strengthened my commitment for working with populations who are disenfranchised and in need of equitable access to resources, regardless of their background or nationality.
After all, this is the kind of work that led me to Adler University in the first place.
The power of resilience
Adler was not my first choice. As an alum of a historically Black college and university (HBCU), I intended to follow suit for my graduate degree. However, my path took a different turn when my graduate advisor connected me with a Psy.D. graduate from Adler who encouraged me to apply. Its values of positively changing communities aligned with mine — and I’m happy to say that Adler has provided me with the same sense of community and diversity as my alma mater.
As part of my journey as Doctor of Philosophy in Counselor Education and Supervision student, I’m required to conduct field training, including an internship, which is designed to advance students’ understanding of leadership in effecting change at the community and professional level.
That’s what led me to Faith Community Initiative.
As mental health professionals, we are trained in striking a balance between empathy and clinical detachment.
However, at Faith Community Initiative, I showed up as a human being, laughing and crying with the families I met. I heard about their experiences, their frustrations, and their hopes and dreams for their new lives in America. In doing so, I was able to validate their experiences and acknowledge the trauma they endured — from navigating hundreds of miles of jungle to crossing rivers, all while facing the uncertainty of whether they were going to make it through alive.
I met individuals who facing armed guerillas. I spoke with those who were raped and beaten, and others who witnessed death on their journey to America. I listened to young women recount their history of childhood sexual abuse and domestic violence.
I’m constantly amazed by their resilience — the focus of my dissertation at Adler.
I met a 24-year-old man whose story will always stay with me.
He contracted a bacterium on his journey through the jungle and became paralyzed from the waist down. His wife, who was five months pregnant at the time, and his 3-year-old daughter helped him reach the U.S.-Mexico border, where they became separated. He was hospitalized while his family was sent to Texas and then Chicago.
Once discharged, he was given what he thought was an airline ticket, but he ended up on a grueling seven-day bus trip. Alone and unable to help himself, he nearly lost his life from infections caused by sitting in his own waste. He was hospitalized again when he ultimately made it to Chicago — but he was reunited with his wife and daughter.
I met this family when Faith Community Initiative was helping to provide them with financial support and find accessible housing. Although medical treatments were available to restore his mobility, the red tape involved hampered the urgency of treatment. The family’s story was featured in the Chicago Tribune — and even after the hardships they’d been through, they were grateful for simply being alive. It’s this resilience stood out to me.
Defined as the ability to recover from or adapt to adversity, resilience is intricately linked to how effectively an individual responds to said events. Resilience is not a static trait, but a dynamic process influenced by the way individuals interpret and manage stressors. Effective coping mechanisms, social support, and personal strengths are integral to this process.
Resilience, however, can be a double-edged sword.
Forced resilience due to life circumstances can often produce mental health challenges. My dissertation is largely focused on persons who are not able to bounce back from adversity. I hope to provide critical keys, along with using existing models, to help these individuals gain coping skills that can lead to resilience and growth.
From theory to action
My experience with Faith Community Initiative took one of the abstract concepts of advocacy and into the trenches of real-life situations. The lessons I’ve learned and the people I’ve met are invaluable and long-lasting.
I learned that substantial barriers exist concerning mental health interventions for migrants. It is a complex issue because our system of delivery is overwhelmed with our own domestic mental health crisis. There are cultural and language barriers. And there’s a need for services to be trauma-informed and culturally attuned to the diverse backgrounds of immigrant communities.
Successful advocacy for migrants navigating trauma and systemic barriers requires a holistic approach. It involves addressing both immediate needs and long-term empowerment. It requires providing access to resources, advocating for system change, and fostering supportive and culturally responsive communities.
Although I have had limited opportunities in the past to work in advocacy, this experience during my internship has influenced me to continue working in advocacy after I leave Adler. Whether it be with immigrants, the unhoused, or persons who are disabled. I hope to be able to give of my time and skills while encouraging colleagues and friends to do the same.
I encourage residents to show kindness and compassion. I encourage others to become involved in advocacy efforts to ensure legal, health care, and social services are accessible and culturally relevant.
Giving is great, but I encourage more people, including my fellow Adler students, to volunteer. Nonprofits and other organizations, such as Faith Community Initiative, are working tirelessly with limited resources to address the needs of migrants. The firsthand experience will change your perspectives and you — for the better.
Wanda Rosario is a Ph.D. candidate in the Counselor Education and Supervision program at Adler University. She is currently working on her dissertation. She is a first-generation high school and college graduate who entered the academic space after retirement from a 30-year career as an X-ray and CT technologist. She moved from the U.S. Virgin Islands to attend Adler university and hopes to return home after graduation in 2025 to continue serving her community.