Afghan refugees in WNY will benefit from mental health support thanks to a New York State grant

BUFFALO, N.Y. – The New York State Office of Mental Health has awarded the University at Buffalo Department of Psychiatry a $200,000 grant to provide culturally appropriate, trauma-informed mental health support for Western New York’s Afghan community.

The grant advances the work of Parveen Attai, a third-year MD candidate, and her faculty mentor, Jamal Williams, PhD, assistant professor of psychiatry, both in the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at UB. Since 2024, Attai has been working with Williams to provide health and wellness support for her community through informal meetings hosted by Community Health Speaks at the Jacobs School.

“This is an effort to create a continuous learning tool focused on the cultural representation of the community,” says Attai. “We will also be sharing Afghan culture with UB medical students who will soon be providing their care.”

The funds will support the training of local mental health providers in culturally nuanced care, provide at least 100 hours of direct mental health services through the department, and fund up to a dozen Afghan individuals who will be empowered and trained as community mental health workers to provide assistance to their peers. These individuals, who will be paid stipends of $2,000 each to participate, will be trained in techniques such as psychological and mental health first aid and motivational interviewing.

Also included in the grant is support for the development of therapeutic tools for dealing with individual and collective trauma, such as sociodrama and healing circles. These will be made available to the community beginning this May and held through late September 2026. Additionally, the Jacobs School will host several events for the Afghan community this summer, where members will be able to learn about resources for mental health as well as other social services and wellness-related topics.

Part of the grant will focus on developing an oral history of the Afghan community in Western New York.

In 2021, resettlement agencies in Western New York formed Buffalo United for Afghan Evacuees in order to provide robust support for Afghans who were evacuating. New York State in general and Western New York, in particular, has been a common destination for Afghan refugees.

“I hope this sheds more light on mental health,” says Attai. “When someone is struggling mentally, it can impact every part of their life. Although this grant is focused on the Afghan community, it also benefits the broader public. When diaspora groups are healthier, they can contribute to a stronger, more vibrant Western New York where everyone can thrive.”