Celebrating the Impact of the JFCS SASIC Program
The Jewish Family and Children’s Services of Southern Arizona (JFCS) Services to Afghan Survivors Impacted by Combat (SASIC) program is a mental health initiative designed to support Afghan individuals and families who arrived in the United States after 2021 and have been affected by war and displacement. Many of the people served through this program worked alongside U.S. forces or supported the U.S. government in Afghanistan.
JFCS was selected as one of only 24 organizations nationwide to carry out this important work. The three-year program was funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services through the Office of Refugee Resettlement. As the program comes to a close, we are proud to share the meaningful impact it has had on our community.
Direct Services and Measurable Progress
Over the past three years, SASIC served 260 clients and delivered 10,418 services, including 316 therapy sessions.
Client outcomes show clear and consistent progress. From intake to program completion, participants moved from crisis situations toward greater safety and stability. Average scores improved across mental health, physical health, and social service domains, demonstrating that SASIC’s support helped individuals strengthen their well-being and build more secure lives.
Client feedback was overwhelmingly positive throughout the grant period, with participants consistently reporting strong satisfaction with the services they received.
Strengthening Community Partnerships
Collaboration was a cornerstone of SASIC’s success. Over three years, the program partnered with more than 107 community organizations. By the end of the grant period, both partners and community members reported stronger, more effective collaboration.
These partnerships expanded access to critical services, including $36,500 in medical support provided through TMCOne. SASIC also worked closely with key Tucson institutions such as the Tucson Police Department and Tucson Unified School District, helping to create a more connected and supportive network for the Afghan community.
Training, Education, and Community Empowerment
One of the program’s standout accomplishments was trauma-informed training and community education. While the original goal was to train 40 providers per year, SASIC far exceeded expectations, training more than 350 professionals over three years. Participants included medical, behavioral health, public health, and direct service providers who gained valuable knowledge about trauma-informed care, refugee experiences, and Afghan health-seeking practices.
The Afghan community also benefited from a wide range of educational workshops developed in collaboration with community partners:
- Year 1: Safety and Law workshop presented by the Tucson Police Department.
- Year 2: Workshops on starting a business (with the Tucson Corporation Commission and Start Up Tucson), and a “Tea with Friends” series covering topics such as navigating the U.S. medical and insurance systems, understanding the disability system, and safety and law.
- Year 3: Programs focused on children and youth, including the SEE Learning afterschool program at two school sites, the Stories that Soar! summer program, and a mental health and wellness presentation at Tucson Unified School District’s Refugee Middle School Girls’ Wellness Day. The final year also included an employment workshop, Doing Business in the U.S.
As SASIC concludes, its legacy is clear: stronger individuals, stronger partnerships, and a stronger, more connected Afghan community in Tucson.
