Mental and Behavioral Health

Sarah Chambers ’23 is an author of The Story of Foster Care, where there are stories of those who have experienced both foster care and human trafficking, the professional community who work to support healthy exits from trafficking, and child-welfare professionals who have witnessed the systemic connection.

Artanesha Jackson ’19 is a clinical social worker with over sixteen years of direct service experience. She prides herself on being a mentor and leader in her community. As part of UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland, she combated health inequity through the Center for Child & Community Health.

Maymunah Yusuf Kadiri ’23 convened The Mental Health Conference: The Mind Behind the Mask to chart a realistic course towards creating awareness and educating the public on mental health issues in Nigeria.

Gabrielle Jackson ’20, Shubha Nagesh ’19 and Rose Mary Nakame ’20 suggest four ways to focus on mental health equity locally and globally with a greater focus on effective, pragmatic, scalable solutions that address disadvantages and foster resilience in people.

Through his work with UNICEF Eastern Caribbean, Bertrand Moses ’20 helped launch Young Caribbean Minds — a Digital Mental Health Hub for Children and Youth designed by and for young people across the Caribbean to champion their mental health. The Hub includes a Directory of Mental Health Services and a Mental Health & Well-being Workbook for Children and Young People.

Ana Ortega ’21 facilitates women’s circles in Chiapas, Mexico. Community health caregivers lead the circles, which offer a space for the women to socialize, share insights, relax, and cultivate a sense of community and belonging as they navigate common mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety.

Ginger Ramirez ’17 is a co-founder of Communitails, which provides animal-assisted interventions as complementary and creative therapies for mental health. Human-animal teams provide support through new and existing therapy and counseling services, leading to mutual healing between humans and animals.

Stephen Sevalie ’18 is the Founder and Mental Health Director of Sustainable Health Systems Sierra Leone, a locally driven, not-for-profit organization aiming to generate evidence responsive to the local needs of healthcare services users, managers, and policymakers by fostering effective collaboration in capacity strengthening for research-to-policy translation.