
Refugee Trauma Initiative
Model & Strategy
Refugee Trauma Initiative (RTI) provides mental health services to refugees in Greece who are coping with the trauma of conflict and displacement, while also training and supporting local aid workers, equipping them with tools to meet the mental health needs of refugees.RTI is unique in that it offers high-quality mental health support that is rooted in the target community’s culture, and also builds the capacity of local communities and organizations.
RTI’s flagship program, ‘Baytna’ (which means “our home” in Arabic), provides families with emotional support along with trauma-sensitive early childhood care and development for children ages 0-6. Baytna’s play-based learning methodology helps mitigate the impacts traumatic events can have on physical and mental health over the course of a lifetime.



Zarlasht Halaimzai is the Director and co-founder of Refugee Trauma Initiative. Over the last 10 years, she has set up programs targeting displaced and vulnerable communities in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Turkey, Syria, the UK, and Greece. Zarlasht has trained in Childhood and Adolescent Counselling and Psychotherapy at the University of Cambridge and is currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Mindfulness Based Cognitive Behavioural Therapy at the University of Oxford.
Zarlasht has firsthand experience of conflict and displacement. Growing up in Kabul, she spent her childhood in a warzone and was forced to flee spending four years in transit before arriving in the UK.
Zarlasht has recently received a number of awards including the 2018 Obama Fellowship, and Marie Claire Magazine’s 2017 Future Shapers Award.
Impact
In less than four years of operations, RTI has provided vital psychological support to over 4,000 refugees and run trainings for over 1,000 humanitarians working with refugees.
RTI has a strong reputation as an innovator in developing targeted mental health programs for refugees as well as capacity-building tools for NGOs.
RTI is creating models that can be replicated globally, raising the global standard in mental health care for refugees and promoting effective practices in humanitarian self-care.
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A report by #RefugeeSupportAegean highlights #barriers to #refugee #children 's education in #Greece resulting from… https://t.co/k9dwlAR7l8
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Day 3/3 of our #Baytna Hub Collective Training focused on #IdentityInformed Practice when working in #Multicultural… https://t.co/M0IIXOPmD1
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Day 2 of our #Baytna Hub Year 2 Collective Training was inspiring! Today’s training focused on #IdentityInformed Pr… https://t.co/L6xYzPnnPE
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Fantastic kick-off to Day One of our #Baytna Hub Year 2 Second Collective Training! Today’s training focused on… https://t.co/SfMosenS1W
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New report on the 'invisible' #mentalhealth emergency for #asylumseekers on #Samos, #Greece finds that lack of basi… https://t.co/RrIT4gBa8W
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OUT NOW: Global recovery plans risk leaving the education of millions behind. @theirworld 's new Education Finance… https://t.co/JcEF4L75Y0
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'Violence against children can be prevented through implementing measures to create safe, sustainable & nurturing f… https://t.co/kQogyRGbh7
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This document by @MdM_Greece proposes useful tips for the #psychological support of #refugee and #asylumseeking… https://t.co/uTedLPbofG
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The below video by @UNICEF shows how #stress affects the #EmotionalDevelopment of #children and how to cope when a… https://t.co/bWXCyJ3pHD
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‘Behind every person who dies while trying to reach the #EU are a family & friends–an entire #community left to gra… https://t.co/FMagHWkkFz
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'Play is a superpower at our children’s fingertips, & a valuable tool parents & carers can use’. RTI provides… https://t.co/4iw35jtLcE
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Fatima & @OCC_Project team continue to support young #refugee #children & #caregivers in #Greece through the… https://t.co/sXceIXICIo
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Following the temporary closure of their Baytna space, RTI Hub partner #AthensComicsLibrary moved their #Baytna ses… https://t.co/hYLv48FNpZ
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Congratulations #AthensComicsLibrary on the successful launch of the #HealingStorytelling workshop! The storytelli… https://t.co/NOvZ0uG47L
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'While for much of the world climate-induced displacement is still a future concern, in the Pacific, low-lying coas… https://t.co/REVFR7dO8u
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A new report by @Refugee_RE addresses the #mentalhealth & #wellbeing needs of young #Asylumseekers in the #UK &… https://t.co/BN9XNrAnol
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66% increase in self-harm& attempted suicide among #Refugeesgr on #Lesvos. 'This is what happens when racist, xeno… https://t.co/AUvhNCgZ9w
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#Refugeesgr & #asylumseeking #children face many #barriers to accessing #education in #Greece. In an open letter t… https://t.co/QVWcDwQlVC
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RTI CEO, @ZarlashtH, joined other activists, education leaders and change-makers to discuss #GirlsEducation and… https://t.co/qT8IsUJlzi
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In line with #SDG4, that ‘all girls and boys have access to quality early childhood development, care and pre-prima… https://t.co/7gwWfbnnEL