Community Mental Health Nursing: Evaluation & Policy Impact (2025S International Placement + 2025W UBC-Based)

Community Mental Health Nursing: Evaluation & Policy Impact (2025S International Placement + 2025W UBC-Based)

This program is part of the Global Experiential Education Program (GEEP) and is informed by ORICE values. GEEP aims to strengthen the bridge between classroom learning (theory) and application (practice) to address pressing global issues, in this community-based praxis initiative. Students who participate in GEEP can participate in experiential education projects designed and led by global community partners.

Details at a Glance

Application Deadline: July 2nd, 2025 (11:59PM)

  • Program Type: Co-curricular (Not-for-credit)
  • Placement Type: Community-Engaged Research Project in collaboration with Kamili Organisation
  • Placement Location: 2025S In-person, Kenya + 2025W In-person, UBC-Based
  • Duration: 10 months starting in July 2025

Project Description

Background

For 11 years, Kamili Organisation has been offering scholarships for qualified general nurses to come to Kamili for specialized training in mental health. Selected nurses, pursuing further education in mental health nursing with Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC) are provided a scholarship that includes a 1 week intensive training on the Kamili model – a community based approach that aims to provide mental health care at a primary level health facility, making services accessible, affordable and sustainable. The newly trained nurses return back to their place of work around the country and become part of a growing network of Kamili-trained nurses with a mental health specialization. This network now comprises 156 nurses in 44 of 47 counties across Kenya. Once trained, the network supports one another and has access to the staff at Kamili for guidance, receives site visits from Kamili leadership and participates in annual training and network development activities. During the 2024 to 2025 winter semesters, Kamili and ORICE partnered to begin the process of developing an evaluation to understand the impacts of this program on the nurses and their service provision.

Current Project

Kamili Organisation is midway through developing an evaluation to understand the impacts of this training for selected nurses once they return to their home site of work. Kamili would like to understand the facilitators, barriers and impacts the nurses experience when bringing their specialized knowledge to their practice site. The purpose of this evaluation is both to inform the current program and to develop evidence to influence policy at multiple levels/sites in Kenya.

This 10 month engagementship (July 2025-April 2026) is a unique opportunity to engage both in person with the organization (August 2025) to gain a stronger understanding of the organizational context and goals, while then continuing to work remotely with a student team of 3-4 students during the academic year (Sept 2025 – April 2026) to prepare, implement, analyze and document the findings of the evaluation. Activities associated with this project will include a full review of the research and draft evaluation materials developed to date, refining evaluation tools with the partner, project planning, implementation protocols, evaluator training materials, data cleaning, analysis, final report writing/policy brief and contributions to grant applications for related programs.

Organization Details

Kamili Organisation provides affordable mental health services via 30+ clinics across Kenya. Our model clinic in Nairobi provides: accurate diagnosis, treatment, support to patients and their families and psychosocial care in the form of education. We also regularly work with the local community to raise awareness about the symptoms and stigma associated with mental health.

Project Timeline

This is a unique opportunity that includes an in-person component in Kenya in August 2025 with Kamili Organisation AND a remote engagementship based at UBC from September 2025 to April 2026.  Do not apply for this program if you are only interested in one of the two components. Remote only engagementships will open in August 2025. International placement only opportunities are not available.

(Kenya Placement): Students will meet weekly with UBC ORICE in July 2025 to review the project work completed to date and to prepare for the placement with Kamili in Nairobi, Kenya in August 2025. Students will then travel to Nairobi from August 1 -17, 2025.  During this time, students will collaborate with the Kamili team on the project as described.  This will also be an important opportunity to gain a deeper contextual understanding of the partner, the training and the evaluation goals.

(Remote Engagementship) Over a period from September 2025  to April 2026,  the selected team of students will spend 3-5 hours weekly working collaboratively to complete the project. Students will be asked to participate in weekly scheduled in-person meetings (on the UBC Vancouver Campus) to ensure collaboration and accountability goals are defined and met. However, the remainder of the allotted time will be self-directed or in small work teams as per agreements with teammates.

More Information

Application & Selection Process

Application Deadline: July 2nd, 2025 (11:59PM)

  1. Review project details (please contact ubc.orice@ubc.ca with any questions you may have).
  2. Next, fill out the ORICE program application form (Qualtrics Survey) below.
  3. Successful applicants will be contacted by email to continue the selection process through a 25-minute individual interview.
  4. After interviews, you will be notified of a decision; successful candidates will be sent an offer letter with further details on the program and detailed instructions on how to accept. Your selection into the program includes meeting eligibility requirements, as well as your initial application and your performance in the interview. The international placement program will be comprised of 2-4 students.  The remote engagementship teams will ultimately be comprised of 3-4 students.

Eligibility Criteria

  • Be an undergraduate (domestic or international) at the UBC Vancouver campus with 60 or more completed credits, or graduate student as of April 30th, 2025. 
  • Have access to a reliable internet connection and computer to collaborate with peers, ORICE staff and international partners to attend meetings remotely if online meetings are required.
  • Demonstrate the ability to think critically and creatively and be willing to take responsibility and initiative to meet project deliverables.
  • Prior experience with policy review and analysis is an asset, but not necessary.
  • Flexibility with time to ensure that training and preparation meetings during 9-5pm PST can be accommodated.

Willingness to have occasional meetings that accommodate time zone considerations for guests joining from Kenya or elsewhere.

Timeline and Key Dates

Project Dates: 

July 2025 - Introduction to project and international placement preparation

August 1-17, 2025 - Placement with Kamili in Nairobi, Kenya

September 2025 - April 2026 - Remote project collaboration with Kamili at UBC.

Weekly Meetings (Sept- April): TBD - applicants will be asked to be flexible as we will be seeking a weekly standing 2-hour meeting block during M-F, 9 am - 5 pm.

 

Note: Team members need to be available for occasional meetings with the community partner at 8 am due to time zone differences. 

Timeline
Applications OpenJune 18, 2025
DeadlineJuly 2, 2025 @ 11:59pm. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.
Short InterviewsJune 23 -July 4, 2025
Offers Made byJuly 8, 2025
Acceptances DueJuly 11, 2025

Living Environment

In Kenya, you will live in hostel-style accommodations with modest living conditions.

Program Fees

The program fees are as listed below. A program deposit fee of $685.00 is payable upon acceptance of an offer to secure your spot in the program. The deposit fee will be deducted from the overall balance owing. The prices listed below are in Canadian Dollars (CAD).

Cost
Program Fee: 

$1975
ORICE Regional and International Program Award Available*:

$2000

Estimated flight cost: $1800-2200.

*Eligibility for this award can be found here

Program cost includes:

  • Pre-departure learning sessions at UBC
  • Room and board
  • Transportation from the airport to your placement site
  • Orientation in the host country
  • Training and Reflection materials
  • Community partner management fee
  • Program management fee

Note: Additional expenses not covered in program costs are the responsibility of the student. Costs not included are airfare, visas, vaccinations, local transportation while in country, transportation from the site back to the airport at the end of the placement, personal items, and daily incidentals.

Funding Opportunities

Funding available for this program: ORICE Regional and International Program Award 

Note: Students may only hold one award at a given time. Please visit our funding page for more information.

APPLY NOW

Rolling applications for the Kamili Research Engagementship are now open.

Deadline: July 2nd, 2025 (11:59PM)

Scaling Inclusion (2025S International Placement + 2025W UBC-Based)

This program is part of the Global Experiential Education Program (GEEP) and is informed by ORICE values. GEEP aims to strengthen the bridge between classroom learning (theory) and application (practice) to address pressing global issues, in this community-based praxis initiative. Students who participate in GEEP can participate in experiential education projects designed and led by global community partners.

Details at a Glance

Application Deadline: July 2nd, 2025 (11:59PM)

  • Program Type: Co-curricular (Not-for-credit)
  • Placement Type: Community-Engaged Research Project in collaboration with Basic Needs Basic Rights Kenya (BNBR)
  • Placement Location: 2025S In-person, Kenya + 2025W In-person, UBC-Based
  • Duration: 10 months starting in July 2025

Project Description

Background

Since their inception, Basic Needs, Basic Rights (BNBR) has distinguished itself as a leader in mental health and development in Kenya by implementing a model which takes a holistic approach, comprising elements of psychosocial support, community development and livelihoods, and improving policy and practice through research and advocacy. This approach is informed by their belief that addressing mental well-being and illness goes beyond just health systems and must include consideration of social and economic causes and effects. BNBR seeks to prevent and treat mental health disorders; promote mental health and well-being; facilitate integration of individuals with mental health complications through socio-economic empowerment; influence laws, policies, and practices as well as cultural norms through acting as a collaborative leader; and strengthen and diversify their resource base as an organization.

As part of a recently launched 5-year strategic plan, BNBR has established a priority to enhance evidence-based research capacity and outputs as an organization. In the summer of 2024, BNBR and ORICE partnered to place UBC students with the organization to explore and document research priorities and to jointly produce a preliminary research agenda based on the identified priorities. During the 2024 to 2025 winter semesters, BNBR and ORICE partnered again to research and document what is meant by social inclusion, a key feature of BNBR work. The team then further collaborated to develop a database of policies and implementation mechanisms that focus on social inclusion within Kenya.  This current project builds on elements of the prior projects to look at scaling social inclusion programs and strengthening health systems.

Current Project

Building on the prior work around social inclusion and strengthening internal research capacity, this project brings both together.  In the near future, BNBR seeks to expand promotive and restorative community mental health services to 2 sub-counties, thereby strengthening inclusion and local health systems. As part of this initiative, BNBR is committed to embedding participatory research into their social inclusion programming, not only as a way of strengthening impact but also to build a sustainable evidence base for rights-based mental health care in Kenya. 

Together with a local Kenyan academic institution, ORICE will support BNBR to develop processes for rigorous inquiry into the effectiveness and evolution of BNBR interventions. The inquiry will center on three key dimensions, examining how those with lived experience, service providers, and organizational staff understand and experience social inclusion. 

This 10 month engagementship (July 2025-April 2026) is a unique opportunity to engage both in person with the organization (August 2025) to gain a stronger understanding of the organizational context and goals, while then continuing to work remotely with a student team of 3-4 students during the academic year (Sept 2025 – April 2026) to prepare, implement, analyze and document the findings of the evaluation. Activities associated with this project will include a full review of the service provision model and practice to date, project planning, literature reviews, environmental policy scans, research on social inclusion metrics, research design, methodology reviews and the development of data collection tools.

Project Timeline

This is a unique opportunity that includes an in-person component in Kenya in August 2025 with Basic Needs Basic Rights (BNBR) Kenya AND a remote engagementship based at UBC from September 2025 to April 2026.  Do not apply for this program if you are only interested in one of the two components. Remote only engagementships will open in August 2025. International placement only opportunities are not available.

(Kenya Placement): Students will meet weekly with UBC ORICE in July 2025 to review the project work completed to date and to prepare for the placement with BNBR in Nairobi, Kenya, in August 2025. Students will then travel to Nairobi from August 1 -17, 2025.  During this time, students will collaborate with the BNBR team on the project as described.  This will also be an important opportunity to gain a deeper contextual understanding of the partner, the sub-counties slated for expansion, current monitoring and evaluation practices, and the research goals.

(Remote Engagementship) Over a period from September 2025  to April 2026,  the selected team of students will spend 3-5 hours weekly working collaboratively to complete the project. Students will be asked to participate in weekly scheduled in-person meetings (on the UBC Vancouver Campus) to ensure collaboration and accountability goals are defined and met. However, the remainder of the allotted time will be self-directed or in small work teams as per agreements with teammates.

Organization Details

Basic Needs, Basic Rights (BNBR) is a vibrant registered national non-governmental organization located across seven counties in Kenya. One of BNBR’s core programmatic areas is to support people with mental health conditions, those at risk, and their caregivers to live and work successfully in their communities. BNBR strives to ensure that those with mental health concerns can access basic rights by empowering their communities to provide care and social support.

Learn more about previous students’ experiences working with community partners abroad.

More Information

Application and Selection Process

Application Deadline: July 2nd, 2025 (11:59pm)

  1. Review project details (please contact ubc.orice@ubc.ca with any questions you may have).
  2. Next, fill out the ORICE program application form (Qualtrics Survey) below.
  3. Successful applicants will be contacted by email to continue the selection process through a 25-minute individual interview.
  4. After interviews, you will be notified of a decision; successful candidates will be sent an offer letter with further details on the program and detailed instructions on how to accept. Your selection into the program includes meeting eligibility requirements, as well as your initial application and your performance in the interview. The international placement program will be comprised of 2-4 students.  The remote engagementship teams will ultimately be comprised of 3-4 students.

Note: We encourage interested students to apply as soon as possible, as we will review applications as they are received. 

Eligibility Criteria

  • Be an undergraduate (domestic or international) at the UBC Vancouver campus with 60 or more completed credits, or graduate student as of April 30th, 2025. 
  • Have access to a reliable internet connection and computer to collaborate with peers, ORICE staff and international partners to attend meetings remotely if online meetings are required.
  • Demonstrate the ability to think critically and creatively and be willing to take responsibility and initiative to meet project deliverables.
  • Prior experience with policy review and analysis is an asset, but not necessary.
  • Flexibility with time to ensure that training and preparation meetings during 9-5pm PST can be accommodated.

Willingness to have occasional meetings that accommodate time zone considerations for guests joining from Kenya or elsewhere.

Timeline and Key Dates

Project Dates: July 2025 - Introduction to project and international placement preparation

August 1-17, 2025 - Placement with BNBR in Nairobi, Kenya

September 2025 - April 2026 - Remote project collaboration with BNBR at UBC.

Weekly Meetings (Sept- April): TBD - applicants will be asked to be flexible as we will be seeking a weekly standing 2-hour meeting block during M-F, 9 am - 5 pm.

Note: Team members need to be available for occasional meetings with the community partner at 8 am due to time zone differences. 

Timeline
Applications OpenJune 18, 2025
DeadlineJuly 2, 2025 @ 11:59pm. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.
Short InterviewsJune 23 -July 4, 2025
Offers Made byJuly 8, 2025
Acceptances DueJuly 11, 2025

Living Environment

In Kenya, you will live in hostel-style accommodations with modest living conditions.

Program Fees

The program fees are as listed below. A program deposit fee of $685.00 is payable upon acceptance of an offer to secure your spot in the program. The deposit fee will be deducted from the overall balance owing. The prices listed below are in Canadian Dollars (CAD).

Cost
Program Fee: 

$1975
ORICE Regional and International Program Award Available*:

$2000

Estimated flight cost: $1800-2200.

*Eligibility for this award can be found here.

Program cost includes:

  • Pre-departure learning sessions at UBC
  • Room and board
  • Transportation from the airport to your placement site
  • Orientation in the host country
  • Training and Reflection materials
  • Community partner management fee
  • Program management fee

Note: Additional expenses not covered in program costs are the responsibility of the student. Costs not included are airfare, visas, vaccinations, local transportation while in country, transportation from the site back to the airport at the end of the placement, personal items, and daily incidentals.

Funding Opportunities

Funding available for this program: ORICE Regional and International Program Award 

Note: Students may only hold one award at a given time. Please visit our funding page for more information.

APPLY NOW

Rolling applications for the BNBR Research Engagementship are now open.

Deadline: July 2nd, 2025 (11:59PM). Applications will be processed as received.

Aatisha Avasthi

Aatisha is a student majoring in Psychology and English Literature at UBC. She worked alongside the Green String Network.

Abedah Siddiqui

Abedah is a masters candidate in the UBC department of Political Science. She worked on the AFRIpads engagementship.

Grace Chen

Grace is a recent BA graduate in Sociology and Urban Studies. She worked on the Kamili engagementship.

Josh Bransford

Josh is a recent BA graduate in Human Geography and Political Science. He worked on the BNBR engagementship.

Kelsey Robson

Kelsey is a recent BA graduate in Anthropology. She worked on the Kamili engagementship.

Luis Vargas

Luis is a student majoring in International Relations with a minor in Law and Society. He worked on the SIP engagementship.

Noah Marsden

Noah is a recent BA graduate in Political Science and History. He worked on the BNBR engagementship.

 

Year-End Showcase: Global Community Engagement in Action

EVENT DETAILS
event

Date: Wednesday, April 2nd, 2025
Time: 4:00-6:00PM
(Come when you can, stay as you like)

location_on

Liu Institute for Global Issues
6476 NW Marine Dr, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z2, Canada

About

Over the past year, several groups of students have engaged in ORICE’s Global Experiential Education Program (GEEP) and PPGA 391A: Human Rights in a Globalized World. Students in both curricular (for-credit) and co-curricular (not-for-credit) programming participated in projects designed and led by global community partners, providing them with valuable hands-on learning opportunities. As these impactful projects come to a close, students will showcase their work at the inaugural ORICE Year-End Showcase: Global Community Engagement in Action. Whether you’re a student planning for your upcoming academic year, a faculty member eager to learn about the students’ contributions, or a member of the UBC community with an interest in experiential education, we invite you to join us for an afternoon of sharing, learning, and celebration!

The event will open at 4:00pm and close at 6:00pm, but you can come when you can and stay as you like! Refreshments will be provided and attendees will have the opportunity to win a prize by participating in a fun, interactive game!

About the Presenters 

GEEP groups 

Wealth Development and Well-being: Assessing the Impact of AFRIpads’ Rural Employment Initiative Engagementship

This project focuses on assessing the direct impacts of employment at AFRIpads, a social enterprise where 80% of the workforce is women. AFRIpads seeks to understand how its decisions—such as locating its factory in a rural area, prioritizing female employment, and providing healthcare and pension benefits—affect individuals and households. Running from October 2024 to April 2025, this engagementship involves refining research questions, reviewing past studies, designing research methodologies, and developing data collection tools for a future study. The project critically examines the intersections of economic growth and social development, incorporating African scholarship and methodologies. Building on a 2023 survey analyzing economic changes around AFRIpads’ factory, this research further explores the broader social and economic impacts of their work.

AFRIpads aims to provide women and girls with a sustainable solution for managing their periods with comfort and dignity. Their mission is to empower through business, innovation, and opportunity to move closer to gender equality.

Inclusion Policy & Mechanism Analysis in Kenya with Basic Needs Basic Rights Engagementship 

This project focuses on a desk research initiative analyzing Kenya’s inclusion policies, particularly those related to disability and mental health, to assess implementation mechanisms, monitoring, and public data availability. The findings will provide critical context for Basic Needs Basic Rights (BNBR) as they refine their organizational priorities, develop policy briefs, and guide future research. Running from October to December 2024, this engagementship involves environmental scans, literature reviews, and policy analysis, culminating in a comprehensive report on policy effectiveness and alignment with BNBR’s mission.

BNBR is a leading Kenyan NGO dedicated to mental health and development, integrating psychosocial support, community empowerment, and policy advocacy. As part of its five-year strategic plan, BNBR is prioritizing research-driven initiatives, continuing its partnership with ORICE to enhance evidence-based decision-making and advocacy efforts.

Community Mental Health Nursing: Evaluation & Policy Impact with Kamili Organisation Engagementship 

Kamili Organisation seeks to evaluate the impact of its specialized mental health training for nurses, examining the facilitators, barriers, and effects of implementing their knowledge at their home sites. This one-term engagementship (January–April 2025) involves refining evaluation questions, reviewing program materials, conducting literature and policy scans, and developing data collection tools for a future study.

Kamili has trained 156 nurses across 44 of Kenya’s 47 counties, equipping them with community-based mental health care skills to improve accessibility and affordability. The organization operates over 30 clinics, providing diagnosis, treatment, psychosocial support, and community education to reduce mental health stigma.

Scholars in Prison Engagementship 

This co-curricular project is a collaboration between the UBC Human Rights Collective (HRC) and the global Scholars at Risk (SAR) Network, supporting SAR’s Scholars in Prison Project. Over two semesters, students are engaging in human rights research and advocacy for imprisoned scholars in Iran and Belarus. In the first semester, they analyzed political, legal, and social contexts, tracked advocacy efforts, and established media monitoring protocols. In the second semester, they are implementing informed advocacy strategies in consultation with SAR and HRC, with past efforts including government petitions, awareness events, and policy submissions. Throughout the project, students will critically engage with issues of power, positionality, and human rights discourse. In late March, students will travel to Washington, DC for SAR’s US Student Advocacy Days 2025, an immersive opportunity to engage with other students, faculty, and a community of activists working to promote and protect academic freedom and the human rights of wrongfully imprisoned scholars.

Scholars at Risk (SAR) is an international network dedicated to protecting scholars and promoting academic freedom through advisory services, advocacy, and monitoring of threats to higher education. Their Practitioners-at-Risk program provides temporary academic positions for scholars facing grave threats, allowing them to continue their work until conditions improve.

 

RSVP now!