YSEALI Regional Workshop on Mental Wellness for Reduction of Narcotics Use

Deadline: 19 June 2020

The Public Affairs Section of the U.S. Embassy Rangoon has announced an open competition for a cooperative agreement to develop and implement a Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI) Regional Workshop on Mental Wellness (YSEALI) Regional Workshop on Mental Wellness for Reduction of Narcotics Use in Myitkyina, Kachin State, pending the availability of funding.

YSEALI is the U.S. government’s signature initiative to engage emerging leaders in Southeast Asia. The program aims to create a network of young Southeast Asian leaders who work across national borders to solve common problems. Through a variety of programs and engagements, YSEALI seeks to build the leadership capabilities of youth in the region, strengthen ties between the United States and Southeast Asia, and nurture a community of leaders who work across borders to solve shared issues.

Responding to priorities from youth in the ASEAN region, YSEALI programs focus on four themes (Economic Growth, Sustainable Development, Education, and Civic Engagement).

Objectives

The workshop will last for 3 full days, with proposed activities fitting into 3 buckets of inter-related objectives (one day for each objective):

• To inform and educate so as to increase understanding and destigmatize mental health issues and drug dependency.
  • Activities will include a panel discussion comprised of experts from Myanmar and from ASEAN countries, and follow-up interactive breakout sessions where participants will discuss mental health challenges and concernsanxiety disorders, behavioral and emotional disorders, depression, unhealthy coping mechanisms such as drug use, as well as possible practical solutions to address these issues. Participants will be made aware that they will be expected on the last day to work in teams of five (5) participants per country (for a total of 11 teams) could fund 4 out of 11 for follow-on projects promoting mental wellness) to pitch an idea for a Mental Wellness promotion campaign or project specifically aimed at reducing narcotics use in their respective communities. Funding will be available for four (4) out of the eleven (11) follow-on projects. Program organizers will encourage participants to start thinking about the framework for their campaign or project in these initial breakout sessions.
• To support the recovery of those who suffer from mental health issues and drug dependency
  • Participants will go on site visits (several harm reduction organizations and drug rehabilitation centers including faith-based treatment facilities exist in the Myitkyina area.) They will have the opportunity to interact with and learn from the beneficiaries of Embassy Rangoon’s “Community Champions” program, which in partnership with the Myanmar Football Federation trains soccer coaches to identify addiction issues within their teams and create supportive team and community environments to help with the recovery of sufferers. The next program is scheduled to take place in Myitkyinaand will serve as an on-site case study for the workshop participants.
• To promote mental wellness
  • Activities will include hands-on, participatory sessions about various no-harm healing modalities and psychosocial treatments such as basic counseling, mindfulness techniques, storytelling, and Common Elements Treatment Approach (CETA) CETA is an approach that teaches cognitive-behavioral therapy elements common to evidence-based treatments for trauma, anxiety, depression, and behavioral problems; it is designed specifically for training and delivery by non-professional, lay providers, in low-resource settings.

Participants and Audiences:

• The recipient will coordinate with U.S. Embassy Rangoon and with the U.S. embassies in ASEAN and Timor-Leste to recruit and select 40-50 participants. Participants will be between the ages of 18-25. The workshop will target community leaders, educators, coaches, law enforcement representatives, students, medical professionals, so they can engage in greater dialogue on drug addiction as a health issue in their respective communities. The workshop will also target journalists and social media influencers to build their knowledge and encourage reporting on drug issues from a health rather than a moral perspective. Participants must be citizens and residents of an ASEAN member country or Timor-Leste.
• The workshop will be designed for participants who work and or reside in areas of their respective countries particularly affected by narcotics use, which will likely include regions outside capital cities.
• All participants must be proficient in written and spoken English. All programs must include participants from all ten ASEAN member countries and Timor-Leste.

Funding Information

Total available funding: $150,000

Priority Regions

Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Laos, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, and Timor-Leste.

Eligibility Criteria

• YSEALI is open to young leaders ages 18-35 who are both citizens and residents of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member countries (Brunei, Burma, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam) or Timor-Leste.
• The following organizations are eligible to apply:
  • U.S. public and private educational institutions
  • U.S. not-for-profit organizations, including think tanks
  • Foreign public and private educational institutions
  • Foreign not-for-profit organizations, including think tanks

For more information, visit https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=326853