Conference on Gender, Families,
and Latino Immigration in Oregon

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Ruth Vargas-Forman

Clinical Psychologist, Oregon Health Sciences University
and Siempre Amigos

Ruth Vargas-Forman, is a Chilean Clinical Psychologist working for the last seven years as a Qualified Mental Health Professional with the Torture Treatment Center at Oregon Health and Science University. Ms. Vargas-Forman is the clinical supervisor of a bilingual and bicultural community mental health program dedicated to refugees from Latin America. She has been responsible for developing a comprehensive approach that provides psychiatric, psychological, legal and social services to clients and their families in a safe, inclusive and culturally appropriate environment. In the last seven years, the program in Eugene has evaluated and treated over 150 Spanish-speaking survivors of torture and trauma who have fled from more than 10 different countries in Central and South America to seek safety in our community. Providing direct clinical services to new immigrants has given inspiration and realization of the importance of documenting the multidimensional consequences of forced displacement.

She has designed and given workshops in academic settings and in international conferences on psychology (in the U.S.A., Chile, Spain and Germany) on topics related to clinical therapeutic work with immigrants’ victims of political violence. The purpose of this documentation is for the community to hear about the long term effects of political violence, forced displacement, family and gender conflicts emerged during migratory and post migratory experiences.

She grew up under the dictatorship of General Pinochet; this experience awoke deep concerns within her about social justice, peace and human rights issues.  In Chile she worked for seven years as academic instructor at the Psychological Clinic of the Universidad de la Frontera developing a course for student of social work and psychology “Multidisciplinary approach to work with families with domestic violence and child abuse”; provide supervision and academic advise for psychology and social work student majoring in Psychology;  provided training to community leaders and professionals in prevention of domestic violence and child  abuse from a multi-disciplinary approach; weekly group studies of  political violence, domestic violence and child abuse; assisting with writing a grant proposals to develop  therapeutic programs for women victims of domestic violence as well as child neglect and abuse.

Degrees:

Doctoral student, Clinical Psychology Program, School of Psychology, University of Salamanca, Spain 2006- 2009.

Professional Degree as a licensed psychologist and the Academic Degree of Psychology, Faculty of Education, Universidad de la Frontera, Temuco, Chile.1992-1998. Magna Cum Laude, March 1999.

Professional Degree as a Social Worker ,Faculty of Social Sciences Universidad de Concepcion, Concepcion, Chile.1985-1988. Magna Cum Laude, March 1989.

Presentations:

Vargas-Forman, R. (December 2006) Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Depression among refugees from Latino America who live in the United States: A model of Multidisciplinary and Transcultural approach in Mental health. Conference presented at the International Symposium on Torture organized by International Rehabilitation Council for Victims of Torture, Berlin, Germany.

Vargas-Forman,R (October, 2006) Refugees from Latino America new members of our community: A model of multidisciplinary and community approach in mental health. Workshop presented at "Choice in Mental Health Care as a Human Right Conference". University of Oregon, Eugene, U.S.A.

Vargas-Forman, R (2005, July) Sequels of Political Violence in refugees: Psychotherapeutic Work with victims of political violence and torture. IX European Conference of Psychology, Granada, Spain.

Vargas-Forman, R & Troncoso, E (March, 2005) Invisible Wounds: Psychotherapeutic Work with victims of political violence and torture. Workshop dedicated to psychologists and social workers working with victims of political violence. Clínica Psicológica, Universidad de la Frontera, Temuco, Chile.

Vargas-Forman, R (July, 2004) Estrés Post Traumático y Depresión en Refugiados Latinoamericanos que viven en los Estados Unidos.  IV Iberoamerican Conference of Psychology. Santiago, Chile.

Vargas-Forman, R.E. & Nieto-Maquehue, G. (2003, Nov.).  Sequels of Political Violence:  A Psychosocial community based intervention with survivors from Latin America.  Presented at the conference for Democracy and Human Rights in Latin America: Lessons from the Past and Prospects for the Future (Thirty Years After September 11th, 1973), Latin American Studies Department, University of Oregon. Eugene, Oregon, U.S.A.

Ruth Vargas-Forman
Qualified Mental health Professional
Torture Treatment Center of OregonOregon Health & Science University
formanr@ohsu.edu

Siempre Amigos ProgramCentro Latino
(541) 349-0301
944 5th W Ave
Eugene OR 97402