The role of social workers in psychosocial interventions and filling the gaps in refugee protection regulations

Abstract

This article examines social workers’ role in promoting mental health services for refugees in Indonesia. It shows how the social workers’ function aligns with universal professional ethical frameworks. Social workers implement therapeutic support, and life review therapy (LRT) to support refugees’ mental health recovery in countries without international refugee protocols. This study contributes to an approach that social work practitioners can adapt in countries that are not signatories to the International Refugee Convention. Furthermore, it emphasizes the critical need to develop mental health protocol policies designed explicitly for refugee populations in transitional settings.