Relevant Work

A Groundbreaking Initiative in Mental Health Advocacy

In 2022, I spearheaded the Self-Injury Awareness Day initiative, a transformative project that was the first of its kind for Aga Khan University and the Brain and Mind Institute. This initiative focused on creating safe, inclusive, and impactful platforms for dialogue around self-injury and mental health, engaging Persons with Lived Suicide Experience (PLE) for the first time in the institution's history. It marked a significant milestone in amplifying marginalized voices in mental health policy, research, and practice.

Objective: To establish a pioneering framework for engaging PLE in inclusive, stigma-free discussions on mental health policy, programming, and research, with the goal of delivering actionable recommendations for systemic improvement.

Outcomes:

1. Actionable Recommendations:

   • Produced recommendations addressing policy gaps, stigma reduction strategies, and enhanced community-driven engagement models.

   • Introduced approaches to better integrate PLE perspectives into mental health programming and evaluation.

2. Capacity Building: Delivered training sessions to stakeholders on empathetic and inclusive methods for incorporating PLE insights into mental health frameworks.

3. Sustainable Impact: Shared findings and insights in 2023, contributing to regional strategies and highlighting the institutional commitment to integrating lived experiences into actionable mental health policies.

Impact:

• Established a pioneering engagement model for Aga Khan University and the Brain and Mind Institute, setting a new standard for PLE inclusion in mental health advocacy.

• Directly engaged 33 participants, fostering greater trust and collaboration between PLE, practitioners, and policymakers.

• Strengthened institutional and regional mental health frameworks, demonstrating the transformative power of participatory methodologies.

The Self-Injury Awareness Day initiative not only represented a historic first for Aga Khan University and the Brain and Mind Institute but also set the stage for sustainable, inclusive practices that amplify the voices of marginalized communities. This initiative reflects my ongoing commitment to innovative engagement strategies, capacity building, and fostering systemic change in mental health advocacy.

Here is the summary report as shared a year later with the PLEs that informed the insights and learnings.

The Resilience Bootcamp Initiative at Aga Khan University

In 2023, Aga Khan University’s Brain and Mind Institute (BMI) launched its first-ever Resilience Bootcamp, a pioneering program designed to address the critical need for mental resilience and emotional intelligence in professional settings. As an instructional designer, I led a multidisciplinary team to conceptualize, launch, and implement this initiative, ensuring it was tailored to meet the unique challenges of various professional groups. The program successfully engaged 400 participants, including 220 staff and faculty from Aga Khan University (AKU) and Aga Khan University Hospital Nairobi (AKUHN). This milestone represented a significant step in BMI’s mission to promote mental well-being and adaptive skills in high-stress environments.

 Objectives: The Resilience Bootcamp was designed to:

1. Enhance Mental Resilience: Equip participants with tools and strategies to effectively manage stress, build resilience, and foster emotional well-being.

2. Address Workplace Mental Health Needs: Provide targeted training tailored to the high-stress environments of healthcare, education, and organizational roles within Aga Khan University (AKU) and Aga Khan University Hospital Nairobi (AKUHN).

3. Promote Lifelong Skills Development: Facilitate the development of adaptive skills that enable individuals to manage current challenges and sustain mental well-being in the future.

4. Foster Organizational Resilience: Contribute to a culture of resilience within AKU and AKUHN by empowering leaders and staff to champion mental health initiatives.

Outcomes: The program achieved significant impact across diverse professional groups:

1. Quantitative Impact:

   • Trained 400 participants, including 220 staff and faculty from AKU and AKUHN across Kenya and Tanzania.

   • Conducted 28 sessions, tailored to residents, HR managers, and departmental teams, ensuring relevance and accessibility for all participants.

2. Qualitative Outcomes:

   • Enhanced Resilience: The 2024 tracer study reported a 38% improvement in resilience among participants, measured using the 2018 Brief Resilience Scale.

   • Gender and Career Insights: Female participants and mid-career professionals demonstrated higher resilience gains, reflecting the program's adaptability to varying needs.

3. Skills Adoption: Participants reported sustained use of stress management tools, reflection practices, and strategies for overcoming overthinking.

4. Organizational Benefits: Empowered HR managers and departmental leads to act as mental health champions, creating ripple effects across teams and departments.

The Resilience Bootcamp, Aga Khan University’s first of its kind, represents a landmark effort in addressing workplace mental health through tailored, evidence-based training. 

Building Resilience Through Mental Health First Response 

The Mental Health First Response (MHFR) Programme, launched by Aga Khan University’s Brain and Mind Institute (a collaborative effort with my Founding Director, 2 clinical psychologists and myself), is a transformative initiative aimed at equipping community leaders, educators, and healthcare professionals with the skills to recognize, support, and refer individuals experiencing mental health challenges. This evidence-based program integrates cultural sensitivity, practical tools, and interactive methodologies to foster a deeper understanding of mental health issues and break the stigma surrounding them.

Objectives: The MHFR Programme is designed to:

1. Enhance Mental Health Literacy: Enable participants to recognize symptoms of common mental illnesses, including depression, anxiety, PTSD, bipolar disorder, and substance use disorders.

2. Build Practical Support Skills: Teach participants to provide empathetic and non-judgmental first-line support using frameworks like the Biopsychosocial (BPS) model and ILIVE (Invite, Listen, Inform, Validate, Empower) approach.

3. Reduce Cultural Stigma: Address the role of internal bias, language, and spirituality in mental health, empowering leaders to foster inclusive and respectful discussions within their communities.

4. Promote Self-Care: Introduce strategies for maintaining personal well-being and preventing burnout among community and workplace leaders.

Outcomes

1. Quantitative Impact:

   • Trained over 450 participants across regions including Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Pakistan, DRC, India, and Afghanistan.

   • Implemented a Training-of-Trainers (ToT) program, enabling six trainers from four countries to cascade the training further.

2. Enhanced Capacity:

   • Participants reported increased confidence in recognizing signs of distress, initiating supportive conversations, and guiding individuals to professional care.

   • Organizations integrated MHFR practices into their wellness strategies, enhancing mental health support systems.

3. Cultural Relevance: Successfully adapted the training to address the unique cultural and spiritual contexts of diverse communities.

4. Sustainable Change: Post-training evaluations revealed significant improvements in participants' ability to apply learned concepts in their leadership roles, fostering long-term community resilience.

The Mental Health First Response (MHFR) Programme is a cornerstone of BMI’s efforts to advance mental health awareness and early intervention across multiple regions. By training over 450 leaders and establishing a multiplier effect through its ToT model, the program has fostered a culture of empathy, inclusivity, and proactive mental health support. With its holistic and culturally adaptive approach, MHFR continues to set a benchmark for addressing mental health challenges in communities, workplaces, and educational settings, aligning with BMI’s mission to reduce stigma and promote holistic well-being.