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