It is estimated that there are over 50,000 Somali refugees currently living in Minnesota,
making Minnesota the largest resettlement location for Somalis in the United States
(World Relief Minnesota, 2013). Research has shown that refugees, including the Somali
community, experience higher rates of mental health concerns and seek less mental
health treatment than any group. This phenomenon is even more prominent in refugee
youth (Ellis, Lincoln, Charney, Ford-Paz, Benson & Strunin, 2010). There is a gap in the
current research on Somali youth mental health and how to overcome the current barriers
to treatment. This study examines the data from eight qualitative interviews with human
service personnel with experience working with Somali youth. These interviews explored
the participants’ understanding of Somali youth mental health, the Somali cultural view
of mental health and its treatment, current barriers that keep Somali youth out of the
mental health service delivery system, and strategies to overcome those barriers in order
to provide better mental health services for Somali youth. The themes from the data
suggest that it is critical to understand the Somali worldview, as well as the unique
stressors Somali youth face, in order to engage in more effective mental health treatment
with this population. The data also identifies current barriers, as well as various
approaches to overcoming those barriers. The implications of this research may be used
to inform micro level practice changes for human service personnel, as well as mezzo and
macro level policy changes within our mental health service delivery system.