Hey there! My name is Marisa Perera and I traveling to Chennai, India in a little under two weeks. My trip to India is only possible due to anonymous funds provided to me by the Center for South Asian Studies (CSAS) at the University of Michigan.
So, who am I? Well, here is a little information about me. I will be entering my senior year at the University of Michigan and completing my double concentration in Spanish and Psychology, and obtaining my B.A. by May 2013. Though I am of Sri Lankan descent, I have been fully raised as an American. However, my past three years as a student at the University of Michigan has opened my eyes to the diversity that fills not only my campus, but our world. After taking classes like cultural anthropology and Asian religions, I found myself subconsciously gravitating towards South Asian culture, yearning to learn more about the culture. In addition to learning about South Asian cultures, my other passion is clinical psychology. I will be attending a Master's program in psychology at the University of Michigan and plan to obtain my Ph.D in clinical psychology shortly thereafter. I am particularly interested in researching clinical issues in Asian populations. Thanks to UM's CSAS, I have been given the opportunity to tie my passions together and research mental health in India.
I will be volunteering at the Banyan in Chennai, India. The Banyan is a non-governmental organization that offers various types of mental health services to people with mental illness in Chennai. Their services include care for those individuals with mental illness as well as their families. Additionally, the Banyan has numerous programs to promote awareness and understanding of mental health within India.
Specifically, I will be working with the Banyan Academy of Leadership in Mental Health (BALM), an initiative of the Banyan that began in 2007. This academy has the purpose of researching, educating, and advocating mental health issues. I will be working closely with a team of BALM professionals to create and implement indicators of mental health status in Chennai. The BALM has asked me to begin creating ideas of potential indicators before arriving in Chennai. So far, I plan to visit the psychology/psychiatrist departments of nearby hospitals to gauge patients' knowledge of mental health, as well as to consider the opinions of mental health doctors and professionals involved in the mental health system in Chennai. Additionally, I plan to conduct an analysis of the Banyan's current programs offered to mentally ill individuals and their families, to assess for success rates. All in all, I plan to examine mental health in Chennai, for both individuals receiving care as well as individuals involved in the system.
So, who am I? Well, here is a little information about me. I will be entering my senior year at the University of Michigan and completing my double concentration in Spanish and Psychology, and obtaining my B.A. by May 2013. Though I am of Sri Lankan descent, I have been fully raised as an American. However, my past three years as a student at the University of Michigan has opened my eyes to the diversity that fills not only my campus, but our world. After taking classes like cultural anthropology and Asian religions, I found myself subconsciously gravitating towards South Asian culture, yearning to learn more about the culture. In addition to learning about South Asian cultures, my other passion is clinical psychology. I will be attending a Master's program in psychology at the University of Michigan and plan to obtain my Ph.D in clinical psychology shortly thereafter. I am particularly interested in researching clinical issues in Asian populations. Thanks to UM's CSAS, I have been given the opportunity to tie my passions together and research mental health in India.
I will be volunteering at the Banyan in Chennai, India. The Banyan is a non-governmental organization that offers various types of mental health services to people with mental illness in Chennai. Their services include care for those individuals with mental illness as well as their families. Additionally, the Banyan has numerous programs to promote awareness and understanding of mental health within India.
Specifically, I will be working with the Banyan Academy of Leadership in Mental Health (BALM), an initiative of the Banyan that began in 2007. This academy has the purpose of researching, educating, and advocating mental health issues. I will be working closely with a team of BALM professionals to create and implement indicators of mental health status in Chennai. The BALM has asked me to begin creating ideas of potential indicators before arriving in Chennai. So far, I plan to visit the psychology/psychiatrist departments of nearby hospitals to gauge patients' knowledge of mental health, as well as to consider the opinions of mental health doctors and professionals involved in the mental health system in Chennai. Additionally, I plan to conduct an analysis of the Banyan's current programs offered to mentally ill individuals and their families, to assess for success rates. All in all, I plan to examine mental health in Chennai, for both individuals receiving care as well as individuals involved in the system.
India, I'm ready for you!
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.