Catalyze, inspire, innovate for mental health
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In this issue:
- Events
- Events in the Local Community
- Events beyond the Greater Boston Area
- Impact Story of the Week: Mindfulness & Trauma-Informed Yoga to Incarcerated Men, Women & Youth - A conversation with Karen Kwass
- Opportunities
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Global Mental Health Events in the Local Community
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HMS Department of Global Health and Social Medicine Department Seminar
Wednesday April 24th 1:15pm
1st Floor Conference Room - 641 Huntingon Ave. Boston MA 02115
This presentation discusses results from our collaborative research with colleagues from Indonesia and China, seeking to reform psychiatric care and implement community mental health programs. Embedded in both countries' larger mental health policy projects are innovations in therapeutic efforts to “unlock” the severely mentally ill. Research findings from outcome studies on unlocking and treating severely ill people have raised numerous questions for both Indonesian and Chinese research and policy teams, which they continue to engage as they seek not only to expand public mental health care but also to improve its quality.
Lunch will be provided. Livestream is available at link above
Wednesday April 24th 1:00-1:50pm
HSPH, FXB G-13
Dr. Suzanne Segerstrom is Professor of Psychology at the University of Kentucky. Her research primarily addresses the influence of individual differences in personality, cognition, and emotion on psychological health and physiological functions.
What's On Your Mind? De-Stigmatizing Mental Health
Wednesday April 24th 1:00-1:50pm
HSPH, Kresge 201
While there have been great strides in reducing stigma in mental health, we still have a long way to go. Come join Dr. Saadia Sediqzadah (PGY-4 Psychiatry resident at the University of Toronto and SM candidate in Health Policy at HSPH) for a facilitated discussion about how we can de-stigmatize mental health, particularly in the school environment. We will take a critical lens to look at popular de-stigmatization efforts and ask ourselves, what works, what doesn't and what can we do next?
MMSc-GHD Thesis Presentation
Monday, May 6th 10:30am - 11:30am
260 Longwood Avenue, TMEC room 250
Presenter:
Farzad Kasraei
MMSc-GHD Thesis Presentation
Monday, May 6th 2:00pm - 3:00pm
260 Longwood Avenue, TMEC room 250
Presenter:
Nadeem Kasmani
June 4th 2019, 9:00am - 5:00pm Cambridge, MA
Decades of research have shown it is possible to improve outcomes for children and families facing adversity. However, on average, the impacts of early childhood programs are modest, and they have not improved over time. So, how can we build better programs that achieve greater outcomes for more young children and families?
Do you want to build stronger programs & achieve better outcomes? Attend our Science-Based Innovation Training! We go beyond asking whether a program works, & ask: What about the program works? How does it make a difference? Who benefits most? Join us for this one-day training to help programs increase impact for children and families.
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Global Mental Health Events beyond the Greater Boston area
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October 25-28, 2019
Description from the President of the World Association of Social Psychiatry:
The theme of the Congress,
“Social determinants of mental health and access to care”
is contemporary and relevant. It reflects our concern for mental health in this age of globalization, commercialization and the merging of boundaries between nations. Despite rapid advances in all fields, enough attention has not been devoted to the social determinants of mental health. And access to care remains severely limited in most parts of the world including high income countries. Our world is changing as never before, which has profound implications for mental health. We are sure, the deliberations of the Congress will give us newer insights into the emerging dynamics in all these areas. We will have four days of rich scientific programme with invited lectures, symposia, workshops, free papers and posters. There will be also be cultural events and get togethers which will be very entertaining to you and families.
For more information and to submit an abstract to present contact:
Alina Puscas.
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December 9th - December 20th 2019
Goa, India
Register by April 31st for early bird rates!
This course is an excellent opportunity to enhance your understanding and skills in the field of global mental health. The course takes place annually at Sangath, Goa, India, and it welcomes participants from across the world to share their experiences and learn collaboratively. Email
LMH@Sangath.in
for more information.
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Global Mental Health Impact Story of the Week
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Research Assistant to Dr. Byron Good and Dr. Mary Jo Good
Department of Global Health and Social Medicine, Harvard Medical School
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GMH@Harvard Question: Could you describe the Prison Yoga Project to the community?
Karen Kwass Answer:
The Prison Yoga Project (PYP) is an organization that brings Mindfulness and Trauma-Informed Yoga to incarcerated men, women and youth in prisons, youth detention centers, county jails and other correctional facilities across the country, Canada, Mexico and Europe. Based on yoga and mindfulness research studies that show physical and emotional benefits, founder James Fox developed a program of best practices and developed prison specific trauma informed training for yoga teachers. The curriculum includes lessons in Restorative Justice (RJ), a theory of justice that emphasizes repairing the harm caused by crime. It is best accomplished through cooperative processes ‘circles’ - facilitated meetings between victims, offenders, and other persons. This theory is incorporated into our yoga practice through increased awareness of their body, emotions and negative patterns of thinking that led them to their crime. In prison the offenders take responsibility for the harm they committed, acknowledge their accountability and make amends for this harm. The men in the restorative justice classes asked for a mind/body class to help deepen and embody their healing process. As leaders in the RJ classes the men established criteria that required completion of two restorative justice classes prior to enrolling in the yoga and mindfulness class. The men are actively involved in running the RJ programs in conjunction with outside facilitators.
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Q: Tell us about a moment when you realized that this was making a difference in their lives?
A:
With 13 men, me and my formerly incarcerated and experienced RJ facilitator we started the first Restorative Justice Yoga and Mindfulness project in this facility two years ago. The men love it, it improves their physical body, decreases stress, increases self-awareness and compassion. I frequently hear how much they look forward to class each Sunday, it is one of their favorite programs. We are a sangha – a group practicing yoga together and in prison it becomes a safe space, an opportunity to laugh together, cry and share in a deeply personal, meaningful way in a supportive community. This creates a way of life, and studies show yoga in prison can lead to reduced recidivism.
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Q: Where do you see the biggest impact being made?
A:
The men state that increased awareness is one of the biggest benefits they have gotten from the yoga; it is the only time they dare to lay down and rest. Yoga has become their sanctuary, feeling safe, respected and relaxed. Some struggle with dark thoughts in meditation, others love the inner peace, as prison is never quiet. Yoga has a significant impact on them; they always express their gratitude for the class, for the bond & brotherhood which develops, that we come back each week, for release of pain in their body, and the sense of peace and acceptance. They come with physical pains,
‘I didn’t think much of yoga, but my back is much better’; ‘after hip openers I have much less pain there than I ever had’.
J says
‘nobody comes to visit me, you coming in every Sunday is my family visit’. 'A corrections officer pissed me off, I felt my body tense up like during my crime, I took a breath and didn't react. I am grateful for learning breathing to induce the PNS and make a better choice'.
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Q: What are the biggest lessons learned or takeaways from your experience?
A:
When I walked in to the prison as the yoga teacher and only woman I had no idea of what to expect, no idea of what it was like in a prison or what the men would be like. Oddly enough, I was never afraid. Prison is not what I thought. In many ways it is worse; de-humanizing, and punitive. Getting to know these men has been one of the most rewarding experiences in my life. I have respect for how these men face their wounds, take responsibility for what they have done, move forward in healing themselves and helping others to not have to go through what they have. The trauma runs deep for many: raised by drug addicted parents, bullets lodged in the body, poverty, gangs-filling a void of not belonging, drugs, shame. This shows up in bodies holding trauma and stress, in unhealthy environments and often a lack of medical and mental health care. We do yoga to release trauma in the body, become aware of how our body responds, how negative self-talk, old wounds can lead to behaviors we regret.
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Kings College London
The overall purpose of the job is to contribute to implementing the College's responsibilities for Coordination and Research under the ESRC award 'Poverty reduction, mental health and the chances of young people: understanding mechanisms through analyses from 6 low- and middle-income countries'. This is a collaborative project led by the LSE, in collaboration with partners in South Africa, Colombia and Brazil. The job will be based across two departments and offers an interdisciplinary role between the Department of Health Service and Population Research Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience and the Department of Global Health and Social Medicine Faculty of Social Science and Public Policy. The post will involve harmonisation and extensive analysis of quantitative datasets to evaluate the relationships between poverty reduction programmes and mental health, using data from six countries.The post will be primarily based in London but will require occasional travel for meetings in Europe, Latin American and Africa. There are also good opportunities to engage in research training and career development activities. The post holder will work with Ricardo Araya, Crick Lund and Mauricio Avendano.
Professor Shekhar Saxena
is seeking a student research assistant for part-time work on projects related to Global Mental Health at Harvard (GMH@Harvard). The work will primarily involve researching and preparing background documents for a new project “Countdown Mental Health 2030” but assistance on other GMH@Harvard projects may also be needed. The position is suited for post-doctoral students with interest in mental health, but exceptional candidates at pre-doctoral level will also be considered. See link above for more information
The Brookline Center for Community Mental Health is hosting an event called Hand in Hand. Hand in Hand is an event where local women come together to create care packages for female clients seen at The Brookline Center, or female caregivers of clients. The Brookline Center for Community Mental Health needs help with setup, registration, and breakdown. The event will be held on Thursday, April 25 from 5:30-9:30 p.m. at 41 Garrison Road Brookline, MA 02445. Contact
gmh_admin@hms.harvard.edu
to be in touch with the organizers!
The Project Coordinator will work on an international research study with researchers at MGH Global Health as well as with research team members and collaborators in Mbarara, Uganda. The study is an interdisciplinary public health research study and implementation project that aims to improve the lives and livelihoods of the 5,000 residents of Nyakabare Parish in Mbarara, Uganda. The core of the research infrastructure is an ongoing, population-based social network cohort with a biannual community health fair. Smaller sub-studies are incorporated on an intermittent basis and, in the past, have included qualitative and mixed methods research related to water insecurity, parenting, child development, and rural livelihoods.This position is ideal for someone intending to pursue further study in epidemiology, global health research, medicine, psychology, or public health.
The Research Program on Children and Adversity (RPCA) at the School of Social Work focuses on improving protections and care for children, youth, and families facing multiple forms of adversity, including due to armed conflict, poverty, and infectious disease. The Program is devoted to applied cross-cultural research in health and human rights. RPCA research directly addresses strategies and methods to close the global implementation gap in providing protections and effective services for youth and families experiencing adversity.
- Postdoctoral Fellow
- The current implementation science research project links with an ongoing scale-up study of a cognitive behavioral therapy-based intervention (The Youth Readiness Intervention; YRI) for youth exposed to violence and other forms of adversity in Sierra Leone. The current project aims to investigate the indirect mental health benefits of the YRI among peers and caregivers of youth who receive the intervention. The study will also include cost-effectiveness and return on investment analysis. The Postdoctoral fellow will work on the implementation science research project at the direction of Drs. Theresa Betancourt (PI) and Alethea Desrosiers (Co-PI).
- Program Manager in Sierra Leone
- The Program Manager will be based in Sierra Leone. The Program Manager will oversee a local team and direct field logistics, manage day to day research team activities, manage research budgets, and liaise regularly with partner organizations on the ground as well as local and national government officials to fulfill the scientific aims of the project.
Brigham and Women's Faulkner Hospital, Boston
Performs a wide variety of executive administrative duties as required to support the day to day operations of the Psychiatry Department and the office of the Chief of Psychiatry.
The Mental Health Center of Greater Manchester, New Hampshire
The Mental Health Center of Greater Manchester is a private non-profit community mental health center who provides behavioral health services for all ages. We are the largest outpatient mental healthcare provider in the State of New Hampshire. Our affiliate program, Bedford Counseling Associates, (BCA), is designed for persons of all ages who require a short term counseling approach for challenges that have a disruptive impact on a person's quality of life. To learn more about our organization or to link to our complete list of career opportunities, go to;
www.mhcgm.org
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