The Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS) was founded in 1998 in the United States as a professional society to provide networking, educational, cultural, and professional services to medical professionals of Syrian descent. SAMS Foundation, the charitable arm of SAMS, was launched in 2007. Since then, SAMS has become one of the most active and leading medical relief organizations working on the front lines of crisis relief in Syria, neighboring countries, and beyond. SAMS has since implemented an integrated model of essential services that emphasizes priority needs, including the delivery of medical education, training, and financial support for physicians and other healthcare workers inside Syria and in neighboring countries. SAMS has established field hospitals, intensive care units, dental and primary care clinics, birth and newborn care facilities, mobile medical units, and dialysis centers.
Additionally, SAMS has provided mental health and psychosocial support as well as organized specialized medical missions to Syria’s neighboring countries and beyond. SAMS provides all its programs with the necessary medications, medical devices, supplies, and instruments through procurement and distribution of gifts in kind (GIK). In 2017, SAMS launched its SAMS Community Outreach (SCO) to bring free, quality health care to vulnerable communities in the United States.
Services Offered
Over the last several years, SAMS has established robust mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) programs in Syria and host countries, including Jordan, Lebanon, and Turkey. SAMS MHPSS teams are focused on providing different means of care and support for beneficiaries on the ground, including therapy for individuals struggling with conflict or violence-related trauma, anxiety, PTSD, and depression; promotion of human rights and women’s empowerment through workshops and group support programs; specialized case management services for those affected by gender-based violence; psychosocial support programming for children and adolescents; and more.
MHPSS Outreach: SAMS has a team of MHPSS and GBV specialists based in Amman and Irbid that provide outreach and referral services for refugees and their neighbors living outside of camps. The services include in-home assessments of vulnerable households to determine the most critical needs; referrals for beneficiaries to receive essential services; individual psychotherapy; medication management by a psychiatrist; and a series of psychoeducation sessions, GBV-awareness workshops, and group support programs which are hosted at local community centers. The workshops cover a range of topics such as stress management, sleep problems, bullying, self-esteem, and communication skills. SAMS has also conducted assessments of training needs at local ministries and CBOs in order to build capacity and improve the quality of community-based care. These initiatives are funded with generous support from the Schooner Foundation.
Fees and Payment
Nonprofit organization
Services Offered To: Adults Teens Children
Languages: Arabic, English
Payment: Sliding Scale Pro-bono
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A community counseling agency is a group therapy practice that offers affordable mental health services. Most are independent non-profit agencies, state agencies, or publicly-funded agencies. A few may restrict who is eligible for services, so it is a good idea to check when you call.
Community counseling agencies are generally more affordable than other therapy providers, but how much more affordable they are will depend on whether you qualify for a discount or sliding scale fee (or if they accept your insurance). Many, but not all, have a policy that they won't turn away anyone due to inability to pay. You should ask about their fees when you first call.
Expect to talk to kind people who want to help you find the care you need. Most community agencies strive to connect you with a live person within 24 hours, if not immediately. If you're asked to hold or leave a message, don't give up; just leave a message and wait. You should hear back pretty quickly.
Most agencies try to set up an initial assessment appointment within a week (some do within 24 hours), though the waitlist to start therapy is usually longer—about a few weeks on average. If you're not eligible or if the agency is not right for you, it's usually still worth it to call or drop in, because staff are knowledgeable about local options and can often refer you to one.
