Step into the frontline of community mental health — where clinical psychology meets human resilience. As a Medi Trip Psychology and Mental Health volunteer, you’ll join a multidisciplinary team of clinicians, psychiatric nurses, social workers, and counsellors working within one of the region’s leading outpatient mental health clinics.

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This placement offers a rare and honest window into the realities of global psychiatry: resource limitations balanced by extraordinary compassion, systemic challenges offset by creative, community-driven care.

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You will actively participate in and observe:

• Psychotherapy and counselling sessions addressing anxiety, trauma, depression, and psychosomatic disorders, gaining insight into both Western-informed and locally adapted therapeutic approaches.

• Psychosocial assessments and diagnostic processes, learning how cultural frameworks influence symptom presentation and patient engagement.

• The methadone maintenance and addiction recovery clinic, where you’ll observe harm-reduction practices and multidisciplinary support for individuals navigating substance dependence.

• Crisis response and acute mental health management, as clinicians respond to psychiatric presentations in general hospital wards and emergency departments — including cases of psychosis, suicidality, and trauma.

• Psychoeducation and public health outreach, contributing to workshops that demystify mental illness, reduce stigma, and promote community wellbeing.

• Health promotion initiatives that explore the intersection of mental health with gender, poverty, and chronic disease.

• The long-term social and economic consequences of untreated mental illness, observing how families and communities adapt in contexts where care resources are limited.

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Throughout your placement, you’ll be encouraged to reflect critically and empathetically — integrating your observations into a short analytical or reflective report that connects theory, clinical practice, and ethical global health engagement.

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This is a fully outpatient-based facility, giving you an in-depth perspective on mental health systems, multidisciplinary teamwork, and the integration of psychiatric care into broader hospital and social structures.

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In joining this program, you’re not only gaining professional exposure — you’re engaging with one of the most pressing frontiers in global healthcare: the pursuit of dignity, understanding, and recovery for those living with mental illness.

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Role Overview

As a Psychology & Mental Health Intern, you will join a multidisciplinary outpatient team in a regional hospital and community mental health clinic. Your primary role is to observe, assist, and learn from mental health professionals as they deliver therapy, assessment, and outreach to patients living with a range of psychological and psychiatric conditions.

You will not replace professionals but instead support them — learning through structured observation, shadowing, guided discussion, and limited supervised interaction with clients (where appropriate and permitted).

Core Components of the Placement

1. Clinical Exposure

• Observe psychotherapy and counselling sessions addressing trauma, depression, anxiety, and substance-related disorders.

• Assist in psychosocial evaluations and the development of patient case notes.

• Gain exposure to the methadone maintenance and addiction recovery clinic, learning harm-reduction models and patient reintegration strategies.

• Witness crisis intervention protocols within emergency and general hospital departments for acute psychiatric presentations.

2. Community and Public Health Integration

• Participate in psychoeducational workshops, school visits, or community outreach programs promoting mental health literacy.

• Contribute to health promotion campaigns focusing on stigma reduction, stress management, and social reintegration.

• Observe how socioeconomic and cultural factors influence care-seeking behaviours and mental health outcomes.

3. Professional Development

• Keep a daily reflective journal documenting key learnings and cultural insights.

• Prepare a short observational or analytical report linking theory to practice.

• Receive mentorship and feedback from your local supervisor and Medi Trip’s coordination team.

Soft Skills & Competencies Required

Success in this placement depends on more than academic background — it demands maturity, empathy, and a reflective mindset. Participants are expected to demonstrate:

• Emotional intelligence – sensitivity to vulnerable populations and cultural nuance.

• Active listening and observation skills – ability to learn through non-verbal cues and contextual awareness.

• Cross-cultural adaptability – openness to unfamiliar systems, beliefs, and therapeutic frameworks.

• Professional ethics and confidentiality – respect for patient privacy and clinical boundaries.

• Self-awareness and composure – capacity to manage emotional responses when exposed to distressing cases.

• Collaborative spirit – willingness to learn from nurses, clinicians, and community workers equally.

• Analytical and reflective ability – integrating lived experiences with theoretical knowledge.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the placement, participants typically develop:

• A grounded understanding of community-based mental health systems in a global context.

• Real-world insight into psychological service delivery within low-resource environments.

• Strengthened communication, empathy, and cultural competence — highly valued in future clinical or academic careers.

• A nuanced appreciation of how culture, stigma, and resilience shape mental health outcomes.

• Documented professional experience suitable for university credit, CPD portfolios, or postgraduate applications.

Ideal For

This placement is suited to students and early-career professionals in:

• Psychology

• Counselling and psychotherapy

• Psychiatry

• Social work

• Public health and community development