Solace Papers
One new feature of Solace’s work is a series of Monographs about work undertaken by Solace therapists or others associated with the work of Solace or similar organisations, in the field of mental health work (broadly defined) with refugees and asylum-seekers. The idea for the series emerged at a staff away-day a couple of years ago (when we could all meet face-to-face!) when it was acknowledged that Solace did a considerable amount of work, some of it quite innovative, which might be of interest to a much wider audience both inside and outside the region. The series consists of short accounts (usually of about 3-5,000 words) of aspects of work done by individual therapists. These are then edited and formatted to a common style.
The series also includes accounts of the series of annual research projects undertaken by students from the School of Geography at the University of Leeds. These projects, exploring issues identified each year by Solace workers, are managed jointly by the School of Geography and by Gary Craig, a Solace Trustee, on behalf of Solace. They have included an examination of the range of work with interpreters in Leeds and the wider region, refugees and asylum seekers’ experience of access to mental health services, and the impact of Covid on therapists’ ways of working.