Synopsis:
Learn how to identify the risk factors and warning signs for mental health and addiction, and where to turn for help. Understand both recovery and resiliency and what individuals can do to get better. It is not just asking “how are you?” and stopping there but how to direct that friend or family member to open up and seek help.
Hazel also provides relevant psychological assessments, utilizing a variety of recognized instruments to evaluate patients with various psychological concerns. Through these assessments, she had also provided caregivers support, and appropriate recommendations to assist clients with their mental health issues, in their learning as well as in behavioral management.
Beyond these working experiences, Hazel is also passionate about advocating against human trafficking in Malaysia. She had volunteered with NGOs for advocacy works as well as outreaches to meet needs of trafficked victims and sex workers in the heart of Kuala Lumpur. At present, Hazel is also involved in volunteer work with mental health-based NGO here in Sarawak.
Hazel believes in helping individuals embrace their well-being in entirety. She believes in the importance of embracing both positive and negative emotions as a part of one’s self instead of denying parts of self which are deemed as undesirable. Hazel also believes in viewing an individual from the biological, psychological, social, spiritual and systemic perspectives, deeming that these are integral parts in contribution to a person’s mental health well-being.
Laura Kho
Founder, Mind Brew
Mental Health Association Sarawak
Laura is a pharmacist specialising in psychiatric care and a passionate mental health advocate who believes that access to mental healthcare is a human right. She has previously worked on connecting communities through stories and conversations with Kamek Kitak Stories. In 2018, she founded Mind Brew Conversations with Mental Health Association of Sarawak (MHAS), a series of community-based, casual conversations exploring mental health and emotional well-being for youths and young working adults. To date, the team has organized thirteen events offline and online, and facilitated conversations for 240 persons on topics focusing on cumulative, intentional daily practices and skills for mental and emotional well-being. Since 2020, Mind Brew has expanded to include Mind Brew Chats, a podcast with eight episodes to date.