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With Dr. Raji Natrajan-Tyagi & Dr. Jason J. Platt

Join us for an enriching cultural experience in Chennai India that will provide you with profound opportunities for professional development. India, being an ancient seat of knowledge and practice in alternative healing and spiritual traditions, offers a great setting for an exchange program for mental health professionals who are intent on enhancing cross-cultural and international competencies, particularly with an eye towards better serving the needs of the South Asian communities.

Sample Activities

−      Gain introductory Tamil language skills.
−      Visit Dakshinachitra (South Indian Artist Village) and the ruins at Mahabalipuram
−      Learn about sustainable rural development & women’s empowerment
−      Visit Kapaleeshwara Temple
−      Listen to a lecture on Vedanta and Hindu spirituality at the Ramakrishna Mission
−      Visit a local mosque, visit a Muslim orphanage & listen to a lecture on women and Islam.
−      Visit the Nari Korava (Gypsy) community
−      Experience watching a Bollywood movie at a local theatre
−      Engage in lectures on topics such as: Working with families in India & U.S. – A comparative Analysis, Marital Counseling in India, Indian spirituality, etc.

And much, much more…

Internationalizing Mental Health Services

Essayist Mark Twain described India as, “the one land that all men desire to see, and having seen once, by even a glimpse, would not give that glimpse for all the shows of all the rest of the globe combined.” India’s rich culture, complex history, diverse populations and its ever increasing presence in the global community makes it a powerful environment for mental health workers to gain international clinical competencies.

Immunizations
For vaccines, we have used a service called Passport Health which has offices all around the US. They specialize in travel health and work with individuals to evaluate the needs based on the places they will be traveling. Many times, the local county health department may also provide vaccines. We recommend that everyone contact their own physician, or a specialist such as Passport Health to evaluate their own situation. Everyone should be up to date on the basics such as Tetanus and Typhoid. Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B and Polio may also be recommended, but everyone should consult their own health professional. You may want to consult your physician about carrying medication for Malaria and for common issues such as diarrhea, vomiting, insect bites etc.

Here are some websites for Passport Health in California, LA, and San Francisco. http://www.passporthealthla.com/ http://www.passporthealthca.com/ http://passportsf.com/

We hope you will join us!

To schedule an interview, please contact us at either [email protected] or [email protected]. 

Program Details

Who can apply: All students enrolled in undergraduate psychology or graduate mental health training programs and those who have graduated from an accredited mental health-training program. Students or graduates in other disciplines who are interested may contact the faculty to discuss options. Licensed mental health professionals may receive CE credit for attending.

Cost: $2500, includes all housing, most meals, lectures, entrance fees to events and activities, and transportation within Chennai (The cost of air travel is not included)

A $300 non-refundable deposit is due September 25th
Full payment is due by October 15th

VISA Information
Visa If you do not have a passport, you need to apply for one ASAP. For more information, please visit http://www.state.gov/. (It can take up to 6 weeks from the time you submit your application to obtain the passport).

If you are an American citizen Everyone will apply for a Tourist visa. A 6 month visa should be sufficient. The Indian government works with an outsourcing company for visas for US citizens, although it is possible to get one through an Indian consulate. The visa can be obtained from the outsourcing agency either by going directly to their offices, in which case it may take as little as 1 or 2 days, or by mail. Mail processing usually takes about 5 days. There are offices in San Francisco, Houston, New York, Chicago, Washington DC. Here is the link for an application: https://indiavisa.travisaoutsourcing.com/

There will be no problem for you to get a tourist visa. If you are in California, then you can get your visa from the San Francisco office. We will be sending you a letter to submit with your application as soon as we have the final list of participants. The cost for a Tourist Visa is $73 for a 6 month visa. There is also a $20 fee to return the passport via FedEx (standard mail is not an option).

If you are NOT an American citizen Individuals who are not US citizens, but are on a student visa in the US can also apply through the outsourcing company. They will need to include their a student visa and a copy of their documents they have signed with your university that show they are legally studying in the US.

For those living in Mexico, please visit the Mexico City India Embassy Webpage for instructions:  Here

Check out a few scenes from previous programs we have run in India!