Crossroads: The Psychology of Immigration in the New Century

• Support opportunities for dialogue and formal
collaboration between researchers and practitioners who
work with immigrant-origin adults (including older
adults), children and adolescents, and families to enhance
the evidence base for effective treatment with this
population and strengthen the effectiveness of clinical
services being offered.
• Advocate for systematic collaboration and
communication among the interdisciplinary systems
(i.e., health care, education, legal/immigration, refugee
resettlement, and social services) that provide services
to immigrant-origin adults (including older adults),
children and adolescents, and families to enhance
service effectiveness, reduce redundancy of care, and
create strong networks of support for this vulnerable
population.
• Provide opportunities for collaboration and bidirectional
training between psychologists and community leaders,
paraprofessionals, and cultural brokers.
• Continue to support relevant United Nations (UN)
initiatives that are consistent with APA policy, such as
the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, which
recognizes the rights of every child, including immigrant
and refugee children, to human dignity and the potential
to realize their full capacities.
• Continue to raise awareness of the mental and behavioral
health effects of detention and deportation processes on
immigrant adults and their families, including policies
that promote humane detention requirements, and
the importance of family reunification in immigrant
proceedings, as consistent with the APA Resolution on
Immigrant Children, Youth, and Families (1998).
• Continue to highlight the psychological implications
of racism, discrimination, and racial profiling on
individuals, families, communities, and society as
consistent with APA’s Resolution on Racial/Ethnic
Profiling and Other Racial/Ethnic Disparities in
Law and Security Enforcement Activities (2001);
APA’s Resolution on Prejudice, Stereotypes, and
Discrimination (2006); and the recommendations of the
report of the APA Presidential Task Force on Preventing
Discrimination and Promoting Diversity (2012).
• Continue to promote the full equality of LGBT persons
and families in federal immigration laws and policies,
including the recognition of “permanent partner” status
eligibility for same-sex couples in the Immigration and
Nationality Act as consistent with the APA Resolution
on Opposing Discriminatory Legislation and Initiatives
Aimed at Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Persons (APA,
2007b).
• Support activities that underscore the importance of
providing fair access to educational opportunities for
immigrant-origin children and adolescents.
80 Report of the APA Presidential Task Force on Immigration