Students and Early Career Professionals

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Now Accepting Nominations for Student Representative to the Global Alliance Board of Directors

The Global Alliance Nomination Committee is receiving nominations for the position of Student Representative to the Board of Directors until November 24. Complete this form to nominate an eligible student or to self-nominate to be considered for the upcoming election. The one-year term begins in January 2021 with the option to renew for a second term.

Student Representatives must be graduate students, resident physicians, or post-doctoral fellows in a recognized training program in a discipline related to behavioral health. They must be a member of the Global Alliance at the beginning of the term. A great leadership opportunity for student members, learn more about the scope of the position.

Get to Know Us

1. What does the Global Alliance believe?

Our chief goals include demonstrating a commitment to the least fortunate members of society by strengthening knowledge of effective and respectful services for people, advocating for prevention, providing leadership for social change, and explicating the core interests that are most fundamental to people's sense of dignity and worth. Read more about our history and what we are. 

2. Why should students and early career professionals join the Global Alliance?

The Global Alliance provides a network of interdisciplinary career professionals with years of experience and expertise. As a student or early career professional member of the Global Alliance, you will have many opportunities to connect with and learn from them and your fellow students and early career professionals.

3. How can you get involved with the Global Alliance?

JOIN TODAY!

  • Contribute to the student newsletter. We hope to launch our first student newsletter in the Fall and are looking for a committed group of graduate students and early career professionals to help plan the look and content. This is a great opportunity for motivated individuals to make connections, build their CVs, and get involved in advocating for behavioral health and social justice!

  • Participate in a student interest group. Rather than select a topic to build an interest group around, we decided on a strategy of finding students interested in forming a group under the auspices of the Global Alliance and then allowing them to choose a focus, desired products, etc. By participating in an interest group, students will have the opportunity to hone leadership skills, learn more about the policy process, connect with experts in their field of interest, build their CVs, connect with like-minded individuals, and gain valuable experience on how professional associations operate.

  • Present in the student webinar series. We are looking for students and early career professionals to help us develop a series of webinars. They will have the opportunity to determine the content and format, as well as ideas for making the webinars engaging and strategies for advertising.
If you or someone you know is interested in these opportunities, contact us at [email protected].
 

Student/Early Career Professional Interview - Dr. Athena Ramos

1. How long have you been a member of the Global Alliance and what most attracted you to the organization?

I’ve been a member of the Global Alliance for the past two years, and I first heard about it through orientation for the program I was in at Clemson University. Almost all of the faculty mentioned “Ortho.” However, the new name “Global Alliance for Behavioral Health and Social Justice” makes a lot of sense to me and it is intuitive! As I learned more about the organization, what drew me to become a member of the Global Alliance was the interdisciplinary approach - it has a home for everybody. Whether you are doing research, working as a policy-maker, or a practitioner, I think there is a space for you in the Global Alliance.

2. Please provide a brief overview of your research and work interests.

I am completing ten years at the University of Nebraska Medical Center this year, as part of the College of Public Health. My title is Community Health Program Manager but I also have a faculty appointment as an instructor in the Department of Health Promotion. A lot of the work that I do is “big picture,” community development, public health, and  equity-focused. Much of my research over the past years has focused on occupational health and safety and well-being among immigrants and migrant farm workers, Latino and LGBT health initiatives, health disparities and health equity, healthy neighborhoods and public spaces, and policy advocacy. Right now I am looking at health and safety among immigrant cattle feed lot workers in the Central States Region, immigrant integration and sense of community in rural communities, using community gardens as a platform for community health and community building, and a program called “Familia Adelante” or “Family Forward” a family strengthening program where we are working on a cultural translation for  Mayan immigrants.

3. What are some practical strategies that you use in your work to engage your population of interest? How have you had to adapt these strategies over time?

A strategy that I always use to engage people, regardless of the population I am working with, is face-to-face time. I think it is very important and a lot of times as academics and researchers, I think we forget that we need to be seen in the community - people want to see you more than just when you need something. They want to know that they can count on you and that you care about them. I also use trusted community connectors - individuals or organizations - that have a vested interest and are seen as informal or formal leaders within the community. Social media has also become much more important, so finding ways to communicate with your audience through social media has been really important. We have a Facebook group where we keep one of our women’s groups up to date on health information, and they add to the conversation so it is a good way to stay connected. A lot of Latinos in general are using Facebook, so for what we do this is a good way to stay connected.

4. How do you see behavioral health and social justice as major players/motivators in your work? In what ways would you like to further incorporate them?

As an individual, I am definitely motivated by the idea of social justice and it is part of my personal value system. I think that society is constructed in a lot of inequitable ways - everybody’s life, work, and well-being should be equitably valued by society, but it is not. Power is often concentrated among the few, and not the many. This is unjust, but it is changeable and I think that the research that we do can be used to transform communities in practice, in policy, and in the way that we set up social structures so that there is opportunity for development, health, and well-being for all. I think if everyone incorporated more of an equity lens to our work, we could move the needle on these issues. In the future, I would like to continue to work with Latino and immigrant communities in the Midwest and work to develop research and services that will continue to benefit and support the communities, particularly in the areas of behavioral health, family well-being, and community development.  

Student Resources

Webinar: From Idea to Impact: Demystifying Social Justice Policy Processes

This foundational webinar, presented by the Student and Early-Career Task Force, is an introduction to international social justice policy for graduate students and early career professionals to demystify the process and timelines behind creating positive policy change. View the recording.

Check out additional resources on our Student Resources page.