Ms. Rija Rappai

                                                            CURRICULUM VITAE

Ms. RIJA RAPPAI

rijarappai@gmail.com 8495080401

AREAS OF INTEREST

Mental Health, Public Health, Suicide Prevention, Research and supervision

PROFESSIONAL HISTORY

December, 2019 – March, 2020 Anunitha, Alcohol & Drug Deaddiction Centre,

Cadabam’s Group | Karnataka, India. Psychiatric Social Worker

• Consultant family therapist for individuals with substance abuse, personality disorders, behavioural problems, severe and common mental disorders.
• Integrated family therapy approach is followed in my interventions.
• Have expertise in conducting interpersonal process group therapy for individuals with substance abuse.
• Expertise in supervising social work trainees in the setting.                                                     July, 2015 – April, 2017 Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit, Regional Centre Tirur, Department of Social Work (Master’s degree in social work) | Kerala, India.

Lecturer

Handled core papers on Mental Health, Research and Public Health Expertise in supervising Master’s Degree Social Work students in field work and research

October, 2014 – July, 2015 Bishop Vayalil Medical Centre | Kerala, India. Psychiatric Social Worker

Specific intervention for children with behavioural and emotional disorders with onset usually occurring in childhood and adolescence, disorders of psychological development, common & severe mental health disorders & their families.

Individual & group therapy for individuals with addiction and their families.

May, 2013 – October, 2014 Ansar   Institute       of        Psychological        Medicine      & Rehabilitation, Ansar Hospital | Kerala, India. Psychiatric Social Worker

Diagnosis of all the new cases attended the outpatient department Specific intervention for children with behavioural and emotional disorders with onset usually occurring in childhood and adolescence, disorders of psychological development, common & severe mental health disorders & their families. Individual & group therapy for individuals with addiction and their families.

June, 2012 – March, 2013 St.Theresa’s High School | Kerala, India. School Social Worker

Identified childhood mental health problems in children (1st standard to 10th standard) at the school, analysed, conceptualized the problem, prepared individualized intervention plan and implemented.

The intervention plan focused on children at risk and their families.

Pre & post test conducted and found out significant positive outcome of the intervention.

Trained teachers to identify child mental health issues and promote positive mental health in the school and community.

CONSULTANCY/ COORDINATION

Field Investigator of Evaluation of ‘Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009’, Kerala State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (KeSCPCR), Malappuram District, Kerala, India, 2015

Coordinated the launch of ‘State Policy for Transgenders in Kerala’ in collaboration with Department of Social Justice, Government of Kerala, India, 2015

Coordinated ‘Capacity Building Programme on Mental Health’ for National Health Mission personnel from Kerala at the Department of Psychiatric Social Work, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences Bangalore, India, 2018

Coordinated ‘National Workshop on Research Methodology’ at the Department of Psychiatric Social Work, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore, India, 2018

TRAININGS RECEIVED

• Research Methodology
• Family Therapy
• Cognitive Behaviour Therapy and other forms of therapy

ACADEMIC RESEARCH

• Lived experienced of children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (M.Phil in Psychiatric Social Work, 2017-19)
• An enquiry in to the need of family empowerment services and medical social work in palliative care (MSW, 2010-12)

PUBLICATIONS

• ‘Adolescent suicide in India: significance of public health prevention plan’, Rija Rappai1, Anish V Cherian1, Ammu Lukose2,       John                  Vijay   Sagar    Kommu1,                  Gregory Armstrong3, 1National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bengaluru, 2Centre For Community Mental Health, Mangalore, 3Nossal Institute for Global Health, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne , Asian Journal of Psychiatry https://authors.elsevier.com/c/1am9y6gcL71gRN
• A chapter on ‘A way forward with families of young adults in distress’, Rija Rappai, Anish V Cherian, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bengaluru, in the counselling manual of ‘JEEVANI’, counselling program for college students, Government of Kerala, 2019
• ‘What I am going through: Lived experience of children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder’, Rija Rappai, Anish V Cherian, John Vijay Sagar Kommu, Santhosh Loganathan, K S Meena, National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences, Bengaluru, India – under pipeline
• ‘Stigmatized life of mine: the subjective account of children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder’, Rija Rappai, Anish V Cherian, John Vijay Sagar Kommu, Santhosh Loganathan, K S Meena, National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences, Bengaluru, India – under pipeline
• ‘Suicide research in India: an overview of four decades’, Rija Rappai1, Anish V Cherian1, Lakshmi Vijayakumar2, 1National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bengaluru, Sneha Foundation, Chennai – under pipelin\                                                                                                                                                 SCIENTIFIC PRESENTATIONS

‘School Social Work for Holistic Development of Children- An Ecological Approach’ based on the study conducted in St.Theresa’s High School, Alappuzha, in DYUTI International conference at Rajagiri College of Social Sciences, Cochin, Kerala, 2013.

‘Higher prevalence of suicidal ideations among rural women living with HIV – from large community based cross- sectional survey’ based on the study conducted in Dakshina Kannada District, in Indiain the Regional Congress of the World Association of Social Psychiatry (WASP), Cochin, 2018.

‘An enquiry in to the need of family empowerment services and medical social work in palliative care’ in DYUTI International conference at Rajagiri College of Social Sciences, Cochin, Kerala, 2012

‘Social group work in neurosurgical setting: a process- oriented approach’ in XXXVI annual conference of Indian Society of Professional Social Work (ISPSW) based on the clinical experience in the Department of Neurosurgery, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore, 2019.

PLACEMENT EXPERIENCE

One year field work experience in ‘Kudumbashree’, the poverty eradication and women empowerment programme implemented by the State Poverty Eradication Mission (SPEM) of the Government of Kerala.

ACADEMIC QUALIFICATION

M.Phil in Psychiatric Social Work

Master’s Degree in Social Work, specializing in Medical and Psychiatric Social Work

Qualified National Eligibility Test (NET) for Lectureship in Social Work conducted by University Grants Commission (UGC) in 2012.

SKILLS

• Excellent in teaching and      supervision
• Excellent in qualitative and                  quantitative research
• Ability to have a client centred approach in any case
• Objective analytical skill
• Attentive listener
• Greatly empathetic
• Networking and liaising
• Good at working in multidisciplinary team
• Excellent at confidential documentation and record keeping