Thank you for your interest. The recruitment for this program has now closed.
Program Overview
SOWK 440J/571 is a 3 credit course that will take place in Nairobi, Kenya and will be taught by Professor Mohamed Ibrahim. The course will run over 4 weeks in May 2023 and will include community-based attachments.
Course Description
According to the Global Burden of Diseases report, mental illness is considered to be among the top 10 diseases causing disability globally. Social workers practicing in international settings can play a role in policy development, health education and promotion, direct provision of psychosocial interventions, assessment, referral/linkage, and mobilization of self-help, mediation, advocacy, community development, public education and research.
SOWK 440J/571 Global Mental Health: Praxis Course introduces students to an emerging and important global mental health field. Global mental health is an area of study, research, and practice that places a priority on improving mental health and achieving equity in health for all people worldwide (Patel, 2012). This elective will introduce students to advanced competencies in global health practice and research, such as the global burden of mental health, social and economic determinants of mental health, the globalization of biomedical psychiatry, global mental health governance, human rights, and equity. Students will discuss practical and ethical challenges in delivering care in low-resource settings, describe tools, and strategies to address the needs of specific vulnerable populations, especially urban refugees in resource limited countries. They will also examine cultural awareness and its importance in caring for a diverse population.
This premier global mental health course provides an opportunity for social workers to gain the necessary knowledge and skills required to work as a mental health practitioner in a global context. This course is located in Kenya to ground the concepts of global mental health in a specific non-western context. Western knowledge and ways of knowing are often privileged and globalized to the Global South. This is often at the expense of Indigenous and local culturally and spiritually appropriate psychosocial and spiritual interventions. Students will be partnered with local mental health organizations to observe and learn from local experts.
This course will be taught by Dr. Mohamed Ibrahim PhD, MSW, RN, an Assistant Professor at UBC’s School of Social Work and an internationally trained scholar and clinician. He has an expertise in the content, lived experience in the area, and a strong network of local human service organizations and professional colleagues to assist in the facilitation of the course content.
International Placement Details
Student enrollment in SOWK 440J/571 requires full participation in:
- ORICE pre-departure learning sessions from January – April 2023
- 4 week course including community-based placement in Nairobi, Kenya during May 2023
- Orientation and workshops facilitated by ORICE during the placement
- ORICE re-entry debrief session and final course-work on campus in June/July 2023
Pre-Departure Overview
The pre-departure learning program is designed to prepare you for an international placement. This will include:
- Pre-departure learning sessions taking place over the academic term leading up to departure led by staff and community development professionals.
- Creation of a learning and development plan
- Participant-led events/presentations
- Facilitated meetings with your placement team to explore learning topics
- Post-Placement overview
Post-Departure Overview
You will participate in post-placement activities include:
- Return seminar and final coursework in June 2023
- Debrief session in June/July 2023
- Public engagement presentation related to course-based research
More Information
Open to all social work students with a BSW standing or a MSW standing by January 2023. Students who are entering their 4th year in September 2022 are encouraged to take this course but please note that students who have completed their degree requirements after the completion of the course will officially convocate in November 2023 rather than May 2023. A certificate of BSW completion can be provided to graduating students for future employers in the interim until they receive their diploma.
Students in other health professions, such as Nursing and Public Health, are also encouraged to apply. Strong applications from students who are not in a health professional program may also be considered.
For the final round of selection, preference will be given to 4th year and Masters level students.
In Kenya, you will live in hostel-style accommodations with modest living conditions.
In addition to its academic requirements, SOWK 440J/571 students must also participate in a number of activities to ensure their preparedness for their international placement.
Program Dates
| Date | Activity |
| August 2022 | Program application is open and will close when full. Applications will be considered in the order they are received. |
| January – April 2023 | Orientation and pre-departure learning sessions (all successful applicants will be expected to be in attendance at all sessions) |
| May 2023 | SOWK 440J/571 (Summer Term 1), 4 week course including community-based attachments in Nairobi, Kenya |
| June 2023 | SOWK 440J/571 Final assignments due and post-placement reflection session |
| Post-placement 2023 | Public engagement presentation related to course-based research |
**Please note these dates may be adjusted but will be confirmed prior to the offer.
Selection Process
To apply please fill out and submit an online application. Successful applicants will be invited to an interview. 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. You will have approximately one week after receiving the offer letter to accept and pay a program deposit. Your selection into the program includes meeting eligibility requirements, as well as your initial application and your performance in the interview.
There are program fees, outside of tuition, for this course. The finalized cost per student is yet to be confirmed, but will be within the range 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 | Cost with ARA Funding |
| Program Fee: $3,300-$3,800 | Program Fee: $570 - 650 |
| Estimated flight cost: $2,000 | Estimated flight cost: $600 |
| Program fees do not include the cost of tuition. | |
*Note: Program fees may be adjusted before the offer. Program costs vary primarily due to cost of living expenses.
Program cost includes:
- Pre-departure learning sessions at UBC
- Room and board
- Transportation from the airport to your placement site
- Orientation in host country
- In-session debrief and workshop part way through your placement
- 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, tuition, local transportation while in country, transportation from the site back to the airport at the end of the placement, personal items, and daily incidentals.
Please see the Funding Opportunities section below for information on awards that are available to cover some of the cost of the program.
Funding available for this program: Arts Research Abroad Award (ARA) or Regional and International Service Learning Award. Note: Students may only hold one award at a given time. Please visit the Funding page here for more information on the awards.
Thank you for your interest. The recruitment for this program has now closed.
- Review course and program details (please contact ubc.orice@ubc.ca with any questions you may have).
- Next, fill out the ORICE international programs application form for this course below.
- Successful applicants will be contacted by email to continue the selection process through an individual interview and a group interview.
- 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. You will have approximately one week after receiving the offer letter to accept. Your selection into the program includes meeting eligibility requirements, as well as your initial application and your performance in the interview.
- Students who have been selected to participate in SOWK 440J/571 will be registered for the course.
Note: Although there are rounds of multiple deadlines scheduled, applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and we can not guarantee the number of spots remaining in the following round of deadlines. We encourage interested students to apply as soon as possible.
For more information about the program and the course, please contact ORICE at ubc.orice@ubc.ca