Community Mental Health Nursing: Evaluation and Policy Impact with Kamili Organization (2026W)

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

First Round Application Deadline: September 13th, 2026 (11:59PM)

• Program Type: Co-curricular (Not-for-credit)
• Engagement Type: Community-Engaged Research Project in collaboration with Kamili Organisation
• Engagement Location: 2026W In-person, UBC-Based
• Duration: 7 months starting October 2026
• Eligibility: Open to UBC-V Undergraduate (60+ credits) & Graduate students (more details below)

Program Description

Background

For more than 12 years, Kamili Organisation has provided scholarships for qualified general nurses across Kenya to pursue specialized training in community mental health nursing through the Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC). As part of the scholarship, nurses participate in an intensive orientation to the Kamili model – a community-based approach that integrates mental health care into primary health care settings to make services more accessible, affordable, and sustainable.

Following their training, nurses return to their home communities where they apply their specialized knowledge in diverse health care settings across Kenya. They also become part of a growing national network of Kamili-trained mental health nurses who receive ongoing mentorship, professional development opportunities, peer support, and periodic site visits from Kamili staff. The network now includes more than 150 nurses working across 44 of Kenya’s 47 counties.

Since 2024, ORICE and Kamili have partnered on a multi-year community-engaged research initiative to better understand the experiences of these scholarship-supported nurses and the influence of the program on mental health service delivery. Previous student cohorts have conducted a comprehensive literature review, collaboratively designed the evaluation framework and survey instrument, prepared and cleaned the dataset, analyzed the first cycle of survey data, and completed the inaugural evaluation report. Together, these contributions have established a strong foundation for ongoing organizational learning and evidence-informed program development.

Organization Details

Kamili Organisation provides affordable community mental health services through more than 30 clinics across Kenya. Its model clinic in Nairobi offers diagnosis, treatment, psychosocial support, family education, and community outreach aimed at increasing awareness of mental health and reducing stigma. In addition to direct service delivery, Kamili invests in strengthening Kenya’s mental health workforce through education, mentorship, and ongoing support for nurses delivering community-based mental health care throughout the country.

Current Project

The 2026-2027 engagementship represents the next phase of this long-term partnership by focusing on knowledge translation, dissemination, and continuous evaluation.

Working collaboratively with Kamili staff and previous project materials, the student team will help translate the findings from the first survey cycle into practical resources that support organizational decision-making, education, and future program development. Students will also contribute to refining the evaluation process in preparation for subsequent rounds of data collection, ensuring that the evaluation remains responsive to Kamili’s evolving priorities while maintaining consistency to allow for year to year analysis.

Over the course of the seven-month engagementship (October 2026-April 2027), students will work as a collaborative research team to:

• Review previous project outputs, including the literature review, survey instrument, evaluation report, and supporting documentation.
• Develop knowledge translation materials for different audiences, including organizational reports, presentations, educational resources, and other dissemination products identified collaboratively with Kamili.
• Support the preparation and refinement of survey tools and implementation materials for future evaluation cycles.
• Contribute to data management protocols, evaluation documentation, and project planning resources that strengthen the sustainability of the evaluation.
• Assist with communicating findings that may inform community mental health programming, organizational learning, and broader policy discussions related to community-based mental health care in Kenya.

This engagementship provides students with an opportunity to experience how community-engaged research extends beyond data collection and analysis to include collaborative knowledge mobilization, organizational learning, and long-term partnership development.

Learn more about previous students’ experiences working with Kamili on pages 21-22 of ORICE’s 2025/2026 Annual Report.

Project Timeline

From October 2026 to April 2027, the selected team of students will spend approximately 3-5 hours per week working collaboratively on the project. Students will participate in regularly scheduled in-person meetings on the UBC Vancouver campus to support collaborative learning, project planning, and team accountability. The remainder of the project work will be completed independently or in small working groups according to project needs and team agreements.

More Information