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September 15th 2021

• Mental Health Webinars & Events
• Funding Opportunity
• Opportunities

First Episode Psychosis Research: Experiences from KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa 
September 20th 12:00pm-1:00pm ET 

Dr. Saeeda Paruk
Senior Lecturer, University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN)
Child Psychiatrist, King Dinuzulu Hospital, Durban

Saeeda Paruk, MBChB, FCPsych (SA), MMed (Psych), Certificate in Child Psychiatry, PhD (UKZN, 2016) conducts research focused on early onset psychosis in children and adolescents, and has several publications and co-authored a book chapter on child psychiatry for the South African psychiatry textbook. She has presented at local and international meetings and was the first child psychiatrist in KwaZulu-Natal to be awarded a PhD. She is currently supervising several Master's and PhD students' research projects and has successfully graduated nine MMed students. Dr. Paruk's current research projects are based on assessing the impact of HIV on people with early psychosis, the impact of COVID-19 on psychosis and services, and the PsyMaP study. She has received UKZN MEPI funding for her PhD, the Biological Psychiatry established researchers award, NRF, and MRC funding for research.
Dr. Paruk also co-ordinates the Discipline of Psychiatry’s research program to nurture and develop emerging researchers in mental health. This has been really rewarding as UKZN registrars present at national and international congresses, win awards, and publish in international peer reviewed journals. An active MMed and PhD mentoring program has facilitated the research component of registrar research training and the team has launched a new platform to encourage specialist research.

Interpersonal Neurobiology: Social Brian & the Embodied Relational Mind 
September 20th 1-2pm ET 

This presentation will provide an overview of the field of Interpersonal Neurobiology and its view of the mind as an embodied and relational process that regulates the flow of energy and information. This perspective of a mind broader than the brain and bigger than the body will be contrasted to studies of neuroscience, and in particular to views of the social brain. Is mind simply an “output of brain firing” as is so often stated? Or is the mind and its several facets of subjective experience, consciousness, information processing, and self-organization actually part of a system that includes the brain in the head, but extends far beyond that skull-encased organ of the body?

Daniel J. Siegel, MD is a clinical professor of psychiatry at the UCLA School of Medicine, founding co-director of the Mindful Awareness Research Center at UCLA, Founding Editor for the Norton Professional Series on Interpersonal Neurobiology, and Executive Director of the Mindsight Institute, which focuses on the development of mindsight, teaches insight, empathy, and integration in individuals, families and communities. Dr. Siegel's five New York Times bestsellers are: Aware: The Science and Practice of Presence, Mind: A Journey to the Heart of Being Human, Brainstorm: The Power and Purpose of the Teenage Brain, and two books with Tina Payne Bryson, Ph.D: The Whole-Brain Child, and No-Drama Discipline.

GMH@Harvard: “How Did I Get Here?” Career Paths in Mental Health Series (Mental Health in Humanitarian Settings)
September 21st 11am-12pm

The purpose of the panel webinar series is to highlight and learn from the career paths of individuals who have been successful in diverse aspects of global mental health work. These seminars will seek to connect students and interested individuals to professionals in the field by understanding their career paths and how their passion and experiences led them to pursue a career in global mental health. It also serves to encourage individuals to find their own path in the global mental health community. The September seminar will include individuals who have experience or are currently working with a focus on mental health in humanitarian settings. The panelists include: 

Erin Gerber: Erin has been a clinical social worker since 2009, managing and coordinating Gender-Based Violence (GBV) programming in humanitarian settings spanning five different regions of the world. She has worked with the International Rescue Committee and Norwegian Refugee Council in Thailand, Ethiopia, South Sudan, and Iraq.  Erin has worked with the United National Population Fund (UNFPA) since 2016 when she created the GBV Capacity Building Initiative for psychosocial support and health providers in Syria through the GBV Sub-Cluster, cross-border operations in Turkey.  Since then Erin worked as Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) Specialist in Myanmar, Bangladesh, UNFPA’s Pacific Sub-Regional Office, and the Asia Pacific Regional Office. Read more of her bio here.

Valerie Waters is a practitioner and consultant in the field of mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS), focusing on trauma-informed approaches to humanitarian aid and human rights activities.  She has authored policy on the integration of MHPSS into gender-based violence and sexual and reproductive health programming for the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), as well as guidelines on interviewing children and young people in truth-seeking efforts with the International Center for Transitional Justice.  Read more of her bio here.

Moderated by: 

Nandini Agarwal is a public health professional working in the field of mental health. Her specialization is epidemiology and biostatistics and interests lie in gender-based violence and its varied implications. She has worked as a public health consultant in India, coordinating and running a program to provide primary care and mental health care for Transgender and Female Sex Worker communitites in Bangalore. Read more of her bio here.

Young Mental Health Leaders Series: School Based Mental Health Policy
September 21st 2:00pm-3:00pm

Join Mental Health America and the GlobalMentalHealth@Harvard Initiative for the next 60-minute conversation in our Young Mental Health Leaders Series. In each session, we bring together researchers and young mental health advocates to discuss the current challenges and successes in youth mental health.

In this session, Ben Ballman, co-founder of DMV Students for Mental Health Reform, will join Young Invincibles’ Rocky Mountain Engagement Manager, Cameron Vigil, to discuss their work leading policy change at the high school and college levels. The session will be moderated by Juliana Restivo, Program Coordinator for the GlobalMentalHealth@Harvard Initiative.
 

Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT)
Teacher Training Intensive (TTI)
September 21 - 26, 2021

Apply here

MBCT prevents depression relapse and can assist with anxiety, depression and stress symptoms. Benefits of this 8-week intervention include:

•    Empirically validated
•    Insurance reimbursable
•    Applicable to all clinical practices
•    Offered through Harvard Medical School’s Department of Postgraduate Medical Education and in partnership with Toronto’s Centre for Mindfulness Studies.

17th Annual INEBRIA Conference 
22-24 September 2021
Mode: Online 
Register now: 

INEBRIA (International Network on Brief Interventions for Alcohol and Other Drugs) is an international network of researchers, policymakers, practitioners and other stakeholders interested in the potential of brief interventions in health and other settings to reduce the harms produced by alcohol and other drug use. It aims to provide global leadership in the development, evaluation and implementation of evidence-based practice in the area of early identification and brief intervention for hazardous and harmful substance use.

The theme of this year's INEBRIA conference is “Setting new directions for Brief Interventions”. The conference aims to shed light on the future and current landscape of Brief Interventions (BIs) research within the substance use field, and the barriers to implementation of existing research strategies. 

GMH@Harvard Virtual Book Launch: 
Mental Health, Legal Capacity, and Human Rights Edited Volume
October 8th 10am - 11:15am ET 
Mode: Online 
Register now: 

Join editors: Michael Ashley Stein, Harvard Law School, Faraaz Mahomed, Wits University, Vikram Patel, Harvard Medical School, Charlene Sunkel, Global Mental Health Peer Network and other contributing authors for the launch of their publication: Mental Health, Legal Capacity, and Human Rights. 

Since adoption of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the interpretive General Comment 1, the topic of legal capacity in mental health settings has generated considerable debate in disciplines ranging from law and psychiatry to public health and public policy. With over 180 countries having ratified the Convention, the shifts required in law and clinical practice need to be informed by interdisciplinary and contextually relevant research as well as the views of stakeholders. With an equal emphasis on the Global North and Global South, this volume offers a comprehensive, interdisciplinary analysis of legal capacity in the realm of mental health. Integrating rigorous academic research with perspectives from people with psychosocial disabilities and their caregivers, the authors provide a holistic overview of pertinent issues and suggest avenues for reform.
 

McLean Hospital - Technology in Psychiatry Online Summit
October 27-29, 2021 
In lieu of a poster session, the TIPS Program Committee is seeking submissions for virtual blitz talks. Each talk will be approximately 4 minutes in length and provide a brief summary of the presenter's research and findings. Submit your abstract here to be considered. 

McLean Hospital: Improving the Effectiveness and Scalability of Digital Mental Health Through Precision and Personalization
October 29th 1:30pm-3:00pm

These leading digital mental health researchers will discuss the use of AI to tailor patient messages and deep learning to develop chatbots, investigate how novel data from wearables and mobile devices can be used to track and adapt digital interventions, and review unique challenges they have encountered in developing web- and smartphone-based therapies across disorders, settings, and populations. 
 

McLean Hospital: "E-mental Health in Mood/Anxiety Disorders - Setting Up New Tools for Clinicians in Routine Patient Care"
October 29th 1:30pm-3:00pm

The COVID-19 outbreak ignited telemedicine, with decades of tentative changes being implemented in weeks. Its benefits suggest that telemedicine is here to stay, allowing for significant improvements in patient diagnosis and follow-up procedures through the rationalization of available human and material resources. With this "new normal," the panelists will discuss how it is necessary to design platforms with telemedicine and augmented reality functionalities that coexist with the basic videoconferencing functions, including the ability to make questionnaires and tests in real-time, acquire and display physiological data, and analyze facial expressions and movement.

Mental Health Research Awards for Investigators Early in their Career in Low and Middle-Income Countries (R01 Clinical Trial Optional)

 NIMH Funding Opportunity: Mental illnesses are a global concern, presenting shared opportunities to advance science across international boundaries. The goal of this initiative is to support the scientific work and research career development of exceptionally talented scientists who are in the early, formative stages of their careers and who plan to make a long-term career commitment to mental health research. This initiative seeks to assist these researchers in launching an innovative basic, translational, clinical, or services research program that holds the potential to transform the understanding, prevention, diagnosis, or treatment of mental illnesses in low resource international settings.

Post Doctoral Associate Opening in Global Mental Health and Addiction Science in Psychology at University of Maryland, College Park
 
This position offers an exciting opportunity to be engaged in global and local addiction science and mental health research.  We are looking for a postdoc with interest in addiction science, global mental health, peer recovery and/or stigma research, preferably with experience with both qualitative and quantitative methodologies, including experience with longitudinal data analysis. There will be numerous opportunities for publications in the areas of HIV, substance use, and global mental health, including from a hybrid effectiveness-implementation trial of a lay counselor delivered behavioral intervention for substance use and HIV medication adherence in Cape Town, South Africa, two trials evaluating mental health and substance use stigma reduction interventions among community health workers and peers in South Africa, and a Baltimore-based HEAL Initiative trial examining a peer-delivered behavioral activation intervention in methadone treatment. Primary responsibilities may include, but are not limited to: data analysis and manuscript preparation, grant preparation, research staff supervision and mentorship, and clinical supervision (if applicable). Supervised clinical hours for licensure will be available focused on treating underserved, minority individuals with substance use, mental health, and co-occurring health conditions, including opportunities for integrated primary care. The position will be based at University of Maryland, College Park, the flagship campus of University of Maryland, located 5 miles outside of Washington DC, and 30 miles from Baltimore. 
 
The postdoctoral associate should have completed the requirements for his or her PhD in psychology, public health, or a related behavioral sciences field. A successful candidate would have a strong publication history and record of securing external funding, excellent social, organizational, writing and data analysis skills, ability to work independently and collaboratively with internal and external partners. Candidates with advanced quantitative data analytic skills, and/or both qualitative and quantitative experience are preferred, as well as interests in peer-delivered interventions, HIV, and/or stigma reduction. Opportunities for independent data analysis, manuscript preparation, and grant writing will be available and encouraged. This fellowship has the potential to lead to a faculty position depending on the candidate’s ability to develop his or her own clinical research portfolio, teaching and supervision interests, and interest in collaborating on existing funded projects. 

Applicants should email Dr. Jessica Magidson (jmagidso@umd.edu; subject heading: GMH and Addiction Post-Doc Application) the following: 1) a copy of their CV; 2) cover letter describing fit with the position and relevant experience, research/career goals, and available start date; 3) writing sample, preferably a first author manuscript; and 4) names/contact information of three professional references. Start date is flexible anytime from July through Sept 2022. Applications will be reviewed as they are received through until the position is filled, with a preferred submission by January 1st, 2022. Email inquiries are welcome.    

 FXB Center for Health & Human Rights at Harvard University - Child Protection Certificate 
Are you passionate about Child Protection?  The FXB Center for Health & Human Rights at Harvard University is accepting applications for their 2021-2022 Child Protection Certificate cohort. Harvard graduate students across all schools and degree programs may apply, but admission is limited to 30 individuals. This program is a great way to increase your skills and build your professional network across sectors.  Program details and application material can be found on the website. 

Please reach out to Rebeca Shin with any questions.

Resilience in the NICU BWell Project 
Research Assistant II 
The Department of Pediatric Newborn Medicine (DPNBM) at Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH) is seeking a Research Assistant (graduate student or graduate level assistant) with an interest in psychological trauma and toxic stress in the workplace. The individual will be involved in the Faculty Resiliency Program, a pilot project that examines the impact of caring for Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) infants on physician wellbeing, resilience and coping, with an overarching goal to develop a comprehensive program for mitigating and overcoming work-related secondary trauma and reduce physician burnout in the NICU using the principles of Trauma Informed Care (TIC). Ideally, RAs should be available for 5-10 hrs/week

Please send your CV, cover letter, and the names of three references to Bridget Thompson. Include in your cover letter how many hours you will be able to commit.

Project Director - IMPRESS project Goa, India
IMPRESS aims at reducing the treatment gap of depression in Goa, India by 
improving the access to evidence-based depression care. We aim to demonstrate how community  based interventions can enhance access to, and improve the outcomes of, the Healthy Activity  Program (HAP), a manualised psychological treatment based on behavioural activation, in an efficient and sustainable manner.

Sangath is a non-governmental, not-for-profit organisation committed to improving health across the life span by empowering existing community resources to provide appropriate physical, psychological and social therapies. Its primary focus areas include child development, adolescent health, adult health and chronic diseases.

Postdoctoral Associate in the Atkinson lab at Baylor College of Medicine

The Atkinson lab in the Department of Molecular & Human Genetics is recruiting a motivated Postdoctoral Associate to lead research projects in statistical and population genomics across diverse human populations. This postdoc will use large-scale genomic datasets to decrease disparities in genetics research across ancestry groups. They will have opportunities for driving analyses in consortium projects and gain mentorship experience via helping to train junior investigators in the group. Our lab is in the leadership of multiple international consortia including the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium (PTSD working group), Neuropsychiatric Genetics in African Populations study (NeuroGAP), and the Latin American Genomics Consortium, affording trainees access to a wealth of diverse large-scale genomic datasets containing a wide range of phenotypes for potential study. 

Apply to join the International Alliance of Mental Health Research Funders as a Lived Experience Representative on our Steering Committee

 The active participation of people with Lived Experience (LE) in health research is increasingly gaining momentum. There is more recognition now of the expertise and value of those directly affected by illness and what they can bring to the research enterprise, particularly in setting research priorities. The International Alliance of Mental Health Research Funders (IAMHRF) is working with its members through the LE Working Group to support the integration of people with LE in organizational leadership. As part of this process, the IAMHRF is recruiting up to two Lived Experience Representatives to participate in the IAMHRF Steering Committee (ISC). The ISC is responsible for making decisions about the strategic direction of the IAMHRF, and evaluating and approving new working groups, projects, and members.

We aim to attract some of the most qualified experts for this critical assignment. In recognition of your important role in mental health research, we would like to bring your attention to this posting and would appreciate that you distribute this opportunity to your networks, as appropriate.

APPLY HERE: The deadline to apply is September 17, 2021.