In conversation with Dr Javita Narang: trauma and culturally informed mental health interventions

We are delighted to offer this free 'In Conversation' event on Friday 13 September 2019 with our keynote speaker Dr. Javita Narang.

Event Overview

 In this ‘In Conversation’ event, Dr Narang discussed trauma-informed mental health interventions across different cultural contexts, highlighting examples from some her recent work internationally. The discourse and following discussion in small groups encouraged reflection on the evidence-base and cultural efficacy of current mental health interventions with trauma survivors; how interventions and service provision for trauma survivors can ensure greater cultural inclusiveness; and our role in promoting it - as academics, service providers, practitioners/mental health professionals, and carers.

Background

Dr Javita Narang is establishing her Psychological Trauma Care Centre in Edinburgh after completing her PhD in Clinical Psychology from the University of Edinburgh in 2016. She is also engaged as a Researcher at the University of Edinburgh on an International and Canada Child Rights Partnership (ICCRP) project. Overall, she has about twenty years of extensive experience of working internationally on issues of gender; sexuality; reproductive, sexual and mental health; child protection; childhood sexual abuse; unsafe migration; human trafficking; and other forms of exploitation.

She is a researcher, practitioner and a mental health campaigner. Her key interest and expertise is in the field of culturally-informed mental health interventions for child, adolescent and adult survivors of psychological trauma. Some of her recent projects include:

• Facilitating establishment of mental health interventions in a shelter in Ethiopia for survivors of unsafe migration and human trafficking.  
• Research on exploring recovery process of adult survivors of CSA in Scotland and India.
• Research and a documentary film on survivors of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) within the Scottish ethnic minorities, followed by development of a ‘Training Tool’ on the subject with funding received from the Scottish Government.  

The Training Tool comprises the documentary film, ‘Hidden in Silence’ along with a Training Handbook. The issue of Childhood Sexual Abuse (CSA) in Scotland, particularly within the Scottish ethnic minority (SEM) communities, has been raised in a documentary form for the first time. The Training Handbook is intended to be used with the film for training professionals, service providers and community groups across Scotland, on core issues faced by CSA survivors from the SEMs and culturally-specific interventions required by them. The Training Tool will be available free of charge to professionals, in both hard copy and digital format. More details will be shared at the event.

General structure of the event:

Friday 13 September 2019

Venue

The event was held in Room 1.26 Paterson's Land, Moray House School of Education and Sport, Holyrood Road, Edinburgh, EH8 8AQ:

Course Venue: Moray House School of Education and Sport

Contact

If you require any further information, please contact us at professionallearning@ed.ac.uk or 0131 651 6114.