According to the UNHRC, a refugee is defined as “someone who has been forced to flee his or her country because of persecution, war or violence. A refugee has a well-founded fear of persecution for reasons of race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership in a particular social group. Most likely, they cannot return home or are afraid to do so.” (UNCHR.org, 2023) 

The Refugee Wellness Lab is grounded in the field experience of its director. In 2011, Dr. Hilado established a mental health program for refugees at RefugeeOne, the largest refugee resettlement agency in Chicago. For nearly 12 years, she directed operations, implemented and evaluated promising interventions to promote mental wellness, and provided therapy to refugee arrivals across the lifespan before moving to UChicago Crown. Over that period of time, Dr. Hilado supported arrivals across five global regions and across diverse immigration statuses — refugees, asylum-seekers, parolees, migrants, and unaccompanied children — all populations that have moved for safety and survival. 

The term refugee is used across all projects in our lab to reflect broadly the millions of forcibly-displaced global populations resettling in the United States. Though rights and privileges in the U.S. context are specific to immigration status, the Refugee Wellness Lab acknowledges the cross-cutting effects of migration trauma that exists for global populations on the move.