As new systems of care and treatments are being developed in response to the unprecedented movements of people, there is a need to reconsider the training and preparation that students, scholars, activists, practitioners, and policymakers receive in order to address these issues appropriately. The engagement and success of many mental health initiatives will depend on the quality of the education and training received by those involved. This convening will bring together government officials, healthcare providers, academic institutions, NGOs, funders, and social entrepreneurs to discuss their experiences at the intersection of research, training, education, and policymaking. We will explore partnerships between stakeholders that envision innovative ways to address mental health concerns in forced migration.

Goal

The aim of this workshop is to collectively re-think mental health education and training for undergraduate and graduate students. Our discussion will emphasize the role that the liberal arts and humanities can and should play in preparing mental health workers, and that of digital learning in building new alliances. The November 2019 workshop at Vassar starts a conversation that will be continuedat three more convenings in the next two years.

Format

This convening is organized as a workshop with an opening and closing panel, and three structured conversations that encourage all participants to engage in an exchange of ideas. For each session, we asked an interdisciplinary team to state some observations and pose questions that explore how mental health education might be transformed to respond to the global challenges of forced migration.