This tip sheet provides practical guidance for service providers and caregivers, such as foster parents. It focuses on supporting the mental and behavioral health of newcomer teens and emerging adults, including youth in the Unaccompanied Refugee Minor (URM) program. This guidance is not a clinical or diagnostic tool. Instead, it encourages noticing changes, listening with curiosity, and offering supportive first responses when a youth shares a concern. For more in-depth guidance, see resources from the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants’ (USCRI) Refugee Youth Resource Center, including tools on recognizing distress, culturally responsive conversations with youth and caregivers, and connecting families to support.
