The Orygen Global Youth Mental Health Advocacy Fellowship 2021 for young people worldwide.

Application Deadline:Sunday 28 March 2021.

Applications are now open for the Orygen Youth Mental Health Advocacy Fellowship. Applications close Sunday 28 March, 2021. 

The Orygen Global Youth Mental Health Advocacy Fellowship is a six-month virtual program for 10 young people from across the globe who are passionate about youth mental health and want to create change in the mental health landscape of their country.

The fellowship has been established to build the capacity, skills and voices of young people to create positive change in mental health awareness, policy and systems reform.

Note: Lived experience of mental ill-health is welcome but not required. You will be in control of how and how much you wish to share your personal story; we will provide you tools to make this decision safely and strategically.

Requirements

• are aged 17-30-years-old (at the time of application);
• self-identify as having lived experience of mental ill-health personally or through family members or friends; or have a specific interest or skill in youth mental health;
• are from anywhere in the world. We are especially keen to hear from people in low and middle- income countries;
• you are able to challenge and offer suggestions for developing and implementing a variety of projects; 
• have a clearly defined problem related to youth mental health you wish to address, a viable advocacy idea as to how you might approach it and the background and motivation needed to go forward; and
• you have permission from your parent/guardian to participate in the fellowship if you are under 18 years old.

All fellowship material will be provided in English.

THE FELLOWSHIP WILL CONSIST OF FIVE MODES OF LEARNING:

1. Education and training modules: The education modules are a core part of the fellowship and will be the platform to develop knowledge and insights for mental health advocacy. Fellows will learn nuances of developing a proposal for change, sharing lived experience of mental ill-health, and creating sustainable change. Each of the five education modules will be composed of lectures, panel discussions and/or practical workshops. These may be live or pre-recorded lectures. Each module aims to build on each other and will include a strong emphasis on fellow interaction. Education modules will cover the following topics:

• Month 1: Defining mental ill-health, advocacy and personal development;
• Month 2: Safety in advocacy and sharing your personal mental health story;
• Month 3: Preparing for advocacy and developing a proposal for change;
• Month 4-5: Doing advocacy; and
• Month 6: After advocacy, creating sustainable change.

2. Mentoring: Mentoring will be used as a space for fellows to develop skills and expertise tailored to each fellow’s learning needs. These skills and expertise will help to equip the fellow with the resources and networks to enact their proposal for change. Mentoring will involve the fellow and mentor meeting monthly and is designed to be dynamic, personal and informal. 

3. Peer support: Peer-to-peer support is an invaluable opportunity for the fellows to provide each other with strategic and emotional support. Fellows from diverse backgrounds and geographical areas will be paired together and will meet monthly.

4. Contact with leaders in global youth mental health: Beyond the impact of implementing their own proposal for change, fellows will be able to network with leaders in youth mental health from all around the world.

5. Contribution: One component of the fellowship will be experiential learning, which allows fellows to engage with the established work of Orygen.

Time Involved

The fellowship is a 6-month program. Fellows should aim to devote 8-10 hours of time each month to fellowship activities. This will vary from month to month but will include a combination of educational modules and individual or group-based work.

Between the modules the fellows will maintain contact via an online platform to network, collaborate and share information and resources. It is expected that fellows will participate regularly in these discussions.

How to Apply

If you’re interested, please complete the application form below.

Applications for the Orygen Global Youth Mental Health Advocacy Fellowship must be completed and received by Sunday 28 March 2021.

Short-listed applicants will be contacted by email or phone to organise an interview. Unsuccessful applicants will be notified by email.

QUESTIONS?

If you have any questions or need assistance to complete your application, please contact:

Corinne Rugolo
Global Fellowship Project Coordinator, Orygen Global
Email: [email protected]    

For More Information:

Visit the Official Webpage of the Orygen Global Youth Mental Health Advocacy Fellowship 2021