FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM FOR MENTAL HEALTH ADVOCACY & Leadership FOR INDIVIDUALS CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES (FMHALICF)

This is an 18-month full-time immersive Fellowship. The program is a platform for nurturing mental health advocates and leaders. Fellows work with Individuals, Children and their families in under-resourced schools, NGOs, collectives, organizations as well as at Pause for Perspective. The aim of the program is to train a collective of compassionate mental health advocates who consciously mobilize resources and ways of being with the awareness of intersectionality in mental health.  This training will also give an opportunity for fellows to be hired by Pause for Perspective in a leadership role. 

Pause for Perspective’s vision for the fellowship is to train collectives of compassionate mental health advocates who believe in making a significant impact in the life and community of people.

At the heart of the fellowship is the hope to bring together people who are vehement advocates for children, keen on working with families and stakeholders to build a safe and secure space for these young people. It is also for those of who strongly believe that families can be mobilized, when systems around the families can care in effective ways.

As mental health advocates we train our fellows to be change makers and leaders who are skilled and heartful in the way they work with stakeholders, families, and young people themselves.

We centre the Neurodiversity Paradigm in our mental health work, our work is also informed by principles of social justice. We are anti-caste, and queer affirmative. Our Fellows are trained and nuanced in this work to ensure that the communities they nurture are tended to from this stance.  

It is Pause for Perspective’s vision to make spaces sensitive, care filled, aware and inclusive of mental health needs of individuals, children, and their families.

Fellows will be skilled at intervention at individual level in working with individuals, children with mental health concerns and to develop social emotional learning for all children

Fellows will be skilled at intervention at familial level to mobilize the family to support the child in their social emotional development and disability

Fellows will learn to and advocate for individuals, children, and their families with other stakeholders such as schools and other institutions

Fellows will be trained in intake, referral, and psychological interventions for individuals, children and families from psychology and social justice perspectives

Fellows will be trained and supported in a variety of spaces that work with marginalized populations in the city of Hyderabad. Fellows will learn to embrace a leadership role in the process. 

Fellows will obtain psychological competence in managing common mental health conditions with children and families of religious minorities, neurodiversity, physical disability/ability, gender and sexual diversity, family situations and more

The program is geared towards intensive training in working with psychosocial needs of individuals, children, their families, and other stakeholders. Fellows will participate in a rigorous orientation and reflection program that helps them reflect and envision their tenure as fellows at Pause for Perspective. Training will entail learning to reach out to the community and schools to spread mental health awareness. Rigorous training in working individually and with families and stake holders will be undertaken. Further, trainings in different modalities of group work with children will also be undertaken. Weekly classes and ongoing supervisions will be conducted to ensure continuous training. Individual supervision, peer supervision, case conference, and continuous trainings will all be an ongoing part of the training.

Training Entails:

• Introduction to Mindfulness
• Mindfulness based Symptom Management course
• Introduction to Group based work
• Gender and sexuality sensitivity
• Socio-emotional learning
• Introduction to Counselling Skills.
• Introduction to social justice perspectives in Mental health work

Training, therapy, supervision, and project work will all be engaged in simultaneously. Fellows will be supported throughout the process with fellowship meetings as well as ongoing training. 

This is an 18-month full time paid Fellowship for people who have completed their Masters or Post Graduate Diploma in Social Work, Psychology, Counseling, Sociology, and allied social sciences AND/ have a minimum of three months interning/ volunteering/ working with children. Research experience a plus.

Position is open for queer, trans and gender queer persons, DBA individuals, and cis women.  

Passion for working with children, adults, and families

Keen on advocating for children’s and individuals’ mental health needs

Keen on becoming aware of social justice needs of individuals, children, and families

Keen on building a leadership role in the community

Creative and flexible in supporting children, families, and stakeholders

Good communication and documentation skills

Attention to detail and good planning skills

Reflexive and introspective

Email Statement of Purpose (1500 words) Write about why you want to be part of the program and what you bring to the program with regards to your reflexivity ( that will allow for a good fit, Curriculum Vitae

Two rounds of online/ in-person interview

Monthly Stipend offered

Contact: aarathi.selvan@gmail.com 

For further questions Phone 8106864001