Top image: Teaching brain dissections to high-school students at Harlem Educational Activities Fund (HEAF)
United for Global Mental Health
11/2021: I worked on a policy paper with the idea that every person has the right to the highest attainable level of mental health and the right to make their own decisions. We talk about mental health as a human rights issue and make a case for it being included in universal healthcare plans. Policy brief is attached below and linked here.
11/2021: I worked on a policy paper with the idea that every person has the right to the highest attainable level of mental health and the right to make their own decisions. We talk about mental health as a human rights issue and make a case for it being included in universal healthcare plans. Policy brief is attached below and linked here.
| Mental health as a matter of human rights |
Sangath India
9/2021 - present: I am working with Sangath on various aspects of the IMPRESS project (Implementation of evidence-based facility and community interventions to reduce treatment gap):
I wrote this article for Sangath blog on the role of folk dance in maintaining positive mental health, and as a culturally-sensitive way of building and interacting with the community.
9/2021 - present: I am working with Sangath on various aspects of the IMPRESS project (Implementation of evidence-based facility and community interventions to reduce treatment gap):
- An update of a 2016 study looking at strategies and interventions to promote help-seeking for mental health problems.
- Data extraction from the 2016 study to get a better understanding of the actual interventions used.
I wrote this article for Sangath blog on the role of folk dance in maintaining positive mental health, and as a culturally-sensitive way of building and interacting with the community.
SHARE INDIA Research Foundation
6/2021 - present: Working on a project with SHARE India to learn about knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to mental health during COVID-19 pandemic and related to COVID-19 vaccination in a rural Indian setting in Telangana.
6/2021 - present: Working on a project with SHARE India to learn about knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to mental health during COVID-19 pandemic and related to COVID-19 vaccination in a rural Indian setting in Telangana.
Public Health Literacy
6/2021 to present: Leading a global working group to develop a protocol to investigate the effects of dance on physical and mental health-related human with Public Health Literacy.
6/2021 to present: Leading a global working group to develop a protocol to investigate the effects of dance on physical and mental health-related human with Public Health Literacy.
The Indian Institute of Public Health Gandhinagar (IIPHG)
5/2021 to present: Developing a scoping review to guide interventions for positive mental health using folk dance and other modalities with The Indian Institute of Public Health Gandhinagar (IIPHG).
5/2021 to present: Developing a scoping review to guide interventions for positive mental health using folk dance and other modalities with The Indian Institute of Public Health Gandhinagar (IIPHG).
05/2021 - present: Co-director, Mental Health Sub-Working Group
The Mental Health Sub-Working Group of WCAPS aims to facilitate safe spaces, group discussions and other events to help raise Mental Health Awareness for the WCAPS members and to work with other WCAPS Working Groups to provide mental health support for those within the WCAPS community and in the future, for the WOC/BIPOC communities at large. A few events that we organized, or are in the works are:
The Mental Health Sub-Working Group of WCAPS aims to facilitate safe spaces, group discussions and other events to help raise Mental Health Awareness for the WCAPS members and to work with other WCAPS Working Groups to provide mental health support for those within the WCAPS community and in the future, for the WOC/BIPOC communities at large. A few events that we organized, or are in the works are:
- Happy Hour/interest meeting in August 2021.
- A campaign for Global Mental Health awareness Day in October, including being invited for the World Mental Health Day Hackathon with Essteem.
- A webinar series with Beyond Conflict. The first one held on November 16, 2021 was entitled "Addressing Trauma through Science and Storytelling", where the program directors of the Trauma and Violent Conflict arm of Beyond Conflict talked about chronic stress and trauma, and the latest efforts of Beyond Conflict in addressing this issue.
Public Health Literacy
5/2021 to present: Leading a global working group to develop a protocol to investigate mental health-related human rights violation with Public Health Literacy.
5/2021 to present: Leading a global working group to develop a protocol to investigate mental health-related human rights violation with Public Health Literacy.
In collaboration with NYU
12/2020: As we prepared for the holidays with the backdrop of the pandemic, I organized two webinars entitled "Families together and families apart" to talk about managing COVID-19 holiday stress. The panel of experts discussed the challenges of coping during a relentless pandemic and how to access resources for managing mental health during this turbulent time.
8/2020: In recognition of World Mental Health day, I organized a virtual panel discussion on the effects of COVID-19 on mental health. This panel brought together experts in neurology, psychiatry, and human behavior for a discussion highlighting the clinical and scientific perspectives on the effect of the pandemic and mental health. Here is a recording of the panel discussion: COVID-19 and mental health.
12/2020: As we prepared for the holidays with the backdrop of the pandemic, I organized two webinars entitled "Families together and families apart" to talk about managing COVID-19 holiday stress. The panel of experts discussed the challenges of coping during a relentless pandemic and how to access resources for managing mental health during this turbulent time.
8/2020: In recognition of World Mental Health day, I organized a virtual panel discussion on the effects of COVID-19 on mental health. This panel brought together experts in neurology, psychiatry, and human behavior for a discussion highlighting the clinical and scientific perspectives on the effect of the pandemic and mental health. Here is a recording of the panel discussion: COVID-19 and mental health.
Brain Awareness Week 2020
I organized a panel discussion: Science and Society: Exploring Mental Health This panel was ultimately rescheduled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
This panel was slated to discuss mental health effects of homelessness, substance abuse disorders, and traumatic events in combat.
Panelists included:
I organized a panel discussion: Science and Society: Exploring Mental Health This panel was ultimately rescheduled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
This panel was slated to discuss mental health effects of homelessness, substance abuse disorders, and traumatic events in combat.
Panelists included:
- Bonnie Mohan: Executive director, Bronx Health and Housing Consortium
- Deborah Byrd: Member of leadership team, LEFSA (Life Experience and Faith Sharing Associates)
- Derek Coy: Veterans’ Health Officer, New York State Health Foundation
- Marc Greenberg: Director, Interfaith Assembly on Homelessness and Housing
- Sheila P Vakharia, PhD: Deputy Director of the Department of Research and Academic Engagement, Drug Policy Alliance