Hamid is a 27-year-old man from Eritrea who recently resettled in the Bay Area.  Facing grave danger in his home county he was forced to flee for his life, leaving his wife and children back home.  He has been through a lot and his journey to safety and asylum took him through different parts of Africa and now he has finally resettled in San Jose.  He was connected with the AACI Center for Survivors of Torture (CST) and has been receiving counseling and case management.  His counselor with CST, Yonas F., is also from Eritrea and speaks Tigrinya, the same language as Hamid.

When Hamid first started experiencing tooth pain, his insurance referred him to a dentist in Redwood City which was completely inaccessible for him as he does not speak English and wasn’t familiar with public transit.  Yonas was able to help connect Hamid with AACI Family Dentistry through a speedy “warm hand off” within AACI’s many services.

At 27 years old, Hamid had never had access to a dentist before until now.  Hamid was experiencing intense pain all over his mouth and unable to sleep. He was seen by Dr. Mehta on an emergency basis at AACI Family Dentistry right away.  Yonas accompanied him to his dentist appointment and provided translation and emotional support.  Dr. Mehta gave Hamid a complete exam, performed deep cleanings to get his gums healthy and did several fillings.  Dr. Mehta was non-judgemental and understanding, giving Hamid education in oral health and took extra time needed to address any pain that arose.

Dr. Mehta noted, “I am so happy that we were able to help this young gentleman. Cases like this fills my heart with content and I am excited to come to work each day!”

Hamid reported that he was no longer in pain after the deep cleaning and continues to visit Dr. Mehta to maintain his oral health.  He is also continuing to meet with his CST counselor to support his mental health.  The multidisciplinary team at AACI including Hamid’s counselor, dentist and case manager were able to work together to give him the best possible care – accommodating his language needs, supporting him emotionally and helping him navigate the complex medical/dental insurance system.  AACI’s wide array of services can support Hamid’s overall health and he is also a patient at AACI Health Center.

Today, Hamid is working part-time and applying to go to school.

To learn more about AACI Center for Survivors of Torture (CST), please visit Center For Survivors Of Torture (CST) Legal and Mental help- AACI.

To learn more about AACI Family Dentistry, please visit Affordable Dental Care | AACI Family Dentistry.