PPP scholar hosted by Wilfred Laurier University (January 2024 – present)
• Heading an initiative to establish culturally sensitive mental health services for Afghan newcomers in Canada, starting from Southern Ontario and potentially expanding nationwide. He is leveraging the expertise of these culturally competent professionals to bridge the gap between the high demand for culturally relevant mental health services and the available resources. He has successfully gathered a group of Afghan mental health professionals and is actively discussing how to proceed with the initiative.
• Leading the writing of a proposal in collaboration with Refugee Health to secure funds from United Way.
• Additional key steps include identifying and assessing the qualifications of Afghan mental health professionals, developing specialized training programs, facilitating accreditation and licensing, integrating professionals into existing service delivery systems, and continuously evaluating and improving the program.
• Collaborating on a research project documenting the experiences of Afghan refugees displaced and living in limbo in Tajikistan. The project is led by Rohina Zaffari (previously from Kabul University, and now with Calgary Immigrant Women’s Association). Dr. Rasooli is assisting with data cleaning and analysis. Researchers hope to have the data analyzed and written up by the end of this year.
• Dr. Rasooli is a member of two active research groups at Laurier: The Centre for Research on Security Practices (CRSP) and the Global Adversity and Wellbeing (GAWB) Research Group.