Download Bio of Our CEO Siddharth Ashvin Shah, M.D., M.P.H

Siddharth Ashvin Shah, M.D., M.P.H. CEO Siddharth is a physician, public health scientist, and educator who seeks to change the way we regard our society’s helpers, healers, and protectors -- people and organizations who operate in demanding and traumatic environments. His early pursuit of improving systems of wellbeing and helping helpers led him to become one of the few physicians dedicated to serving the first responder and healthcare workforce. Clients experience his interdisciplinary thinking as he Brings together the humanities, social sciences, common sense preventive medicine, cross-cultural resilience and spiritual practices, trauma-informed care, and cutting-edge neuroscientific thinking distilled for real-world applications. Siddharth founded Greenleaf Integrative, and he proudly serves as CEO in order to bring exponential value to its clients, as well as prioritizing a mindful internal culture for its staff. The company grew out of his international consulting to governments, healthcare organizations, NGOs, and the private sector in the areas of chronic high stress, brain health, trauma resiliency, strategic communications, and leadership effectiveness. Before Greenleaf Integrative, he conducted a private practice at the GW Center for Integrative Medicine in Washington, DC. Prior to coming to the DC metro area, Siddharth headed the Preventive Medicine Residency Program at Wyckoff Heights Medical Center in Brooklyn, along with a faculty appointment in the Department of Environmental and Occupational Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital in Manhattan, NYC. Dr. Shah’s expertise and publications span integrative medicine, staff care, disaster- related traumatic stress, vicarious traumatization, resilience, implicit/unconscious bias, cross-cultural competence, and even laughter yoga. His recommendations are currently helping to change the way enterprises manage and lead personnel in otherwise debilitating circumstances. He continues to see a limited number of previously established patients. Dr. Shah received his B.A. in Religious Studies from Rice University and completed his M.D. at Baylor College of Medicine. After one year of specialized training at the Karl Menninger School of Psychiatry, he went to the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai for advanced training in Preventive and Behavioral Medicine and a Masters in Public Health. .

Copy Link

Recommended publications

Creating Spiritual and Psychological Resilience
Creating Spiritual and Psychological Resilience Creating Spiritual and Psychological Resilience Integrating Care in Disaster Relief Work Grant H. Brenner, Daniel H. Bush, Joshua Moses EDITORS New York London Routledge Routledge Taylor & Francis Group Taylor & Francis Group 270 Madison Avenue 27 Church Road New York, NY 10016 Hove, East Sussex BN3 2FA © 2010 by Taylor and Francis Group, LLC Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis Group, an Informa business Printed in the United States of America on acid-free paper 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 International Standard Book Number: 978-0-7890-3455-7 (Paperback) For permission to photocopy or use material electronically from this work, please access www. copyright.com (http://www.copyright.com/) or contact the Copyright Clearance Center, Inc. (CCC), 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, 978-750-8400. CCC is a not-for-profit organiza- tion that provides licenses and registration for a variety of users. For organizations that have been granted a photocopy license by the CCC, a separate system of payment has been arranged. Trademark Notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Creating spiritual and psychological resilience : integrating care in disaster relief work / edited by Grant H. Brenner, Daniel H. Bush, Joshua Moses. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-0-7890-3454-0 (hardback : alk. paper) -- ISBN 978-0-7890-3455-7 (pbk. : alk. paper) 1. Disaster relief. 2. Disaster relief--Psychological aspects.
[Show full text]
Cross-Cultural Assessment of Psychological Trauma and PTSD
Cross-Cultural Assessment of Psychological Trauma and PTSD International and Cultural Psychology Series Series Editor: Anthony Marsella, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii ASIAN AMERICAN MENTAL HEALTH Assessment Theories and Methods Edited by Karen S. Kurasaki, Sumie Okazaki, and Stanley Sue CROSS-CULTURAL ASSESSMENT OF PSYCHOLOGICAL TRAUMA AND PTSD Edited by John P. Wilson, and Catherine So-kum Tang THE FIVE-FACTOR MODEL OF PERSONALITY ACROSS CULTURES Edited by Robert R. McCrae and Juri Allik FORCED MIGRATION AND MENTAL HEALTH Rethinking the Care of Refugees and Displaced Persons Edited by David Ingleby HANDBOOK OF MULTICULTURAL PERSPECTIVES ON STRESS AND COPING Edited by Paul T.P. Wong and Lilian C.J. Wong INDIGENOUS AND CULTURAL PSYCHOLOGY Understanding People in Context Edited by Uichol Kim, Kuo-Shu Yang, and Kwang-Kuo Hwang LEARNING IN CULTURAL CONTEXT Family, Peers, and School Edited by Ashley Maynard and Mary Martini POVERTY AND PSYCHOLOGY From Global Perspective to Local Practice Edited by Stuart C. Carr and Tod S. Sloan PSYCHOLOGY AND BUDDHISM From Individual to Global Community Edited by Kathleen H. Dockett, G. Rita Dudley-Grant, and C. Peter Bankart SOCIAL CHANGE AND PSYCHOSOCIAL ADAPTATION IN THE PACIFIC ISLANDS Cultures in Transition Edited by Anthony J. Marsella, Ayda Aukahi Austin, and Bruce Grant TRAUMA INTERVENTIONS IN WAR AND PEACE Prevention, Practice, and Policy Edited by Bonnie L. Green, Matthew J. Friedman, Joop T.V.M. de Jong, Susan D. Solomon, Terence M. Keane, John A. Fairbank, Brigid Donelan, and Ellen Frey-Wouters A Continuation Order Plan is available for this series. A continuation order will bring delivery of each new volume immediately upon publication.
[Show full text]
What Can Go Wrong
The Dangerous Business of Aid A Report on the Risks to Aid Workers in the Field October 2, 2009 Prepared by: Prepared for: Noel Bauer, MA Melissa Thomas, JD, PhD [email protected] [email protected] Associate Professor of International The author’s views expressed in this Development publication do not necessarily reflect the The Johns Hopkins University views of the Paul H. Nitze School of The Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced Advanced International Studies or Johns International Studies (SAIS) Hopkins University. 1740 Massachusetts Ave., N.W. Washington, D.C. 20036 Cover photo by: Pierre Holtz for OCHA, Creative Commons License 2.0 The Dangerous Business of Aid: A Report on the Risks to Aid Workers in the Field Introduction Over the past decades, a steady flow of articles have warned of the dangers to aid workers, but decried the lack of rigorous study. However, in the last several years various investigations have provided good data on a number of threats to aid workers. Although much remains to be done, there is growing evidence to prove that aid work is an increasingly dangerous business. Increased awareness of the risks to aid workers comes at a time when the field is growing rapidly. A study by the Overseas Development Institute (ODI) shows that the humanitarian worker population alone has more than doubled from 136,204 in 1997 to over 290,000 in 2008 (Stoddard, Harmer, and Haver 2006; 2009). The purpose of this report is to give the International Development Department of Johns Hopkins University’s Paul H.
[Show full text]
RUTGERS, the STATE UNIVERSITY of NEW JERSEY SCHOOL of SOCIAL WORK COURSE OUTLINE (Weekly Class- OTG)
RUTGERS, THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW JERSEY SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK COURSE OUTLINE (Weekly Class- OTG) Working with Survivors of Abuse & Trauma 19:910:523:xx Fall 2020 Instructor Class Dates: Office: Room: Phone: Index #: E-mail: Office Hours: I. Catalog Course Description This course examines social work practice theories and intervention approaches and skills as they apply to practice with childhood and adult survivors of physical, sexual and other forms of abuse and trauma. Particular attention will be made to the use of engagement, assessment, planning, intervention, evaluation and follow up on the micro, mezzo, and macro levels of practice. An emphasis will also be placed on diversity and use of social work ethics and values when working with survivors of abuse and trauma. II. Course Overview This course addresses theories, skills and interventions utilized in the direct practice with survivors of physical, sexual and other forms of interpersonal abuse and trauma. It builds upon foundational social work practice knowledge, values and skills by focusing on direct practice interventions with childhood and adult survivors of abuse and trauma. Specific theoretical frameworks such as empowerment, strengths, feminist perspective, and trauma’s effects on brain and body will be used to discuss strategies for providing services to individuals who experienced trauma or physical, emotional, sexual abuse in childhood or adulthood. All steps in the social work intervention process will be addressed including, engagement, assessment, planning, intervention, evaluation and follow up, to identify specific skills and knowledge utilized to serve this population. III. Place of Course in Program This course is offered as an Advanced Practice Distribution Requirement.
[Show full text]
(MHPSS): Do No Harm, Preventing Cross-Cultural Errors and Inviting Pushback
Clin Soc Work J DOI 10.1007/s10615-011-0348-z ORIGINAL PAPER Ethical Standards for Transnational Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS): Do No Harm, Preventing Cross-Cultural Errors and Inviting Pushback Siddharth Ashvin Shah Ó Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2011 Abstract Important components of bioethics are routinely ‘‘any type of local or outside support that aims to protect or underappreciated in cross-cultural and transnational mental promote psychosocial well-being and/or prevent or treat health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) efforts. This mental disorder’’ (IASC 2007; p. 1). MHPSS is routinely article provides case examples of cultural errors and/or harm applied in humanitarian aid, development work and post- by outsiders delivering MHPSS on different continents. The conflict programming. Previous social work literature has errors illustrate violations of informed consent (principle of described ways in which outside support can reproduce autonomy) and avoiding harm (nonmaleficence). Ethical inequitable North/South power relations or adversely affect cultural adaptation standards are presented in order to avert local practices (Kleinman 1995; Puig and Glynn 2004; such errors. Given the real risk of outsiders applying cul- Wehbi 2009;Xu2006). Other literature has begun to turally erroneous and/or harmful practices in the process of address the thinness, invalidity or absence of informed delivering aid, the ability to discern pushback (resistance consent procedures in MHPSS for non-Western popula- and redirection by intended beneficiaries) can yield ethically tions (Summerfield 2008). In response, this article seeks to significant data. Actively inviting pushback is proposed as provide ethical standards to promote best practices for an additional methodology for ethical cultural adaptation MHPSS that is offered by cultural outsiders and transna- with the purpose of at least gaining informed consent and, at tional organizations.
[Show full text]
Preparedness & Response Mental Health Emergencies and Post
Preparedness & Response Mental Health Emergencies and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Adapted from a chapter in Emergency Public Health APA citation – Shah, S.A. (2010). Mental Health Emergencies and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. In G.B. Kapur & J.P. Smith (Eds.) Emergency Public Health: Preparedness and Response (pp. 493-516). Boston: Jones and Bartlett Publishers. INTRODUCTION From a public health perspective, complex emergencies and large-scale disasters produce enormous and multi-faceted mental health morbidity.1 Individuals will encounter symptoms of emotional distress that are primarily non-pathologic (in contrast to psychiatric illness) but, at the same time, worthy of emergency attention. However, much of the suffering that is deemed “mental” is missed, overlooked, or deferred indefinitely due to a focus on physical injuries (dialogue at Global Mental Health Discussion Group, World Bank, Nov 2009). Within psychiatry, the DSM-IV-TR defines a traumatic event as one in which a person is confronted with a significant threat and the person’s response to that threat involves “intense fear, helplessness or horror.”2(p251) A broader, more working, definition of “trauma” is a stressor that overwhelms an individual’s capacity to respond and cope adaptively. In Western societies, although wide consensus exists about post-traumatic stress (PTSD) disorder being the most identifiable post- traumatic sequela, the health professional evaluating traumatized populations should have a differential diagnosis breadth that includes the following mental
[Show full text]
Secondary Traumatic Stress: 10.1177/1534765607299910 Hosted at Prevalence in Humanitarian Aid Workers in India
Traumatology Volume 13 Number 1 March 2007 59-70 ©2007 Sage Publications Secondary Traumatic Stress: 10.1177/1534765607299910 http://tmt.sagepub.com hosted at Prevalence in Humanitarian http://online.sagepub.com Aid Workers in India Siddharth Ashvin Shah, Elizabeth Garland, and Craig Katz Background: Humanitarian aid workers (HAWs) who of lower socioeconomic status (SES) (p < .001) aid traumatized populations experience emotional, reported higher trauma scores compared with those cognitive, and physical consequences. This study of higher SES. Conclusion: Substantial STS exists documents the extent of secondary traumatic stress among HAWs 5 months after widespread mass vio- (STS) in a group of HAWs in Gujarat, India. Method: lence. To bolster resilience appropriately, preventive A standardized 17-item self-report questionnaire, the measures must focus on the prevalent types of trau- STS Scale, evaluated STS symptoms and severity in matic stress in HAWs. workers belonging to humanitarian organizations that provided psychosocial aid to traumatized people in Keywords: burnout; compassion fatigue; work stress; India. Results: All the HAWs (N = 76) reported humanitarian aid worker self-care; occupational haz- STS as a consequence of their work; 8% met criteria ard; relief worker PTSD; secondary traumatic stress; for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). HAWs vicarious traumatization everal occupations expose their practitioners to survivors’ stories of fear, pain, and suffering may to victimized individuals or traumatized com- develop deleterious emotional, cognitive, and physi- Smunities. Primary traumatic stress is the term cal consequences (Carbonell & Figley, 1996; Collins used for individuals who respond with intense fear & Long, 2003; Danieli, 1996; McCann & Pearlman, or helplessness after experiencing a traumatic event 1990; Salston & Figley, 2003).
[Show full text]
DEVELOPMENTS Page 37 the Latest Issues and Trends in International Development and Humanitarian Assistance
Check Out Our JOBS MONDAY Section! DEVELOPMENTS Page 37 The Latest Issues and Trends in International Development and Humanitarian Assistance My Boss Doesn’t Get It! Why Good Management and Staff Well-being Matters Insights From Peer Support In a Novice Humanitarian Gardener Organizations Staff Counselling In the UN System The Importance of Psychosocial Intervention With National Staff Staff Working In Care HIV/AIDS Projects September 2008 Vol. 26, No. 9 InterAction MONDAY DEVELOPMENTS Managing Editor/Art Director Chad Brobst Copy Editor Kathy Ward Advertising & Sales Michael Haslett Communications Department Nasserie Carew, Public Relations 19 Tawana Jacobs, Public Relations Tony Fleming, New Media 21 Chad Brobst, Publications Michael Haslett, Publications Margaret Christoph, Admin Associate Editorial Committee 10 InterAction Communications Team ContentsSeptember 2008 • Vol. 26 • No. 9 InterAction 1400 16th Street, NW Suite 210 FEATURES Addressing Stess In Walking the Walk | 28 Washington, DC 20036 National Staff | 21 World Concern introduces “Know Tel: 202.667.8227 Why Bother With Stress Secondary traumatic stress Your HIV Status Day” for staff. [email protected] Management? | 10 and burnout can affect national ISSN 1043-8157 Ignoring stress in the staff too. Helper’s Fire II | 29 workplace leads to inefficiency, Conference works to build ineffectiveness and turnover. USAID and Staff Care | 23 resilient communities for Monday Developments is published 12 Task force establishes agency- humanitarian and development times a
[Show full text]
RUTGERS, the STATE UNIVERSITY of NEW JERSEY SCHOOL of SOCIAL WORK Course Syllabus Weekly OTG Fall 2019
RUTGERS, THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW JERSEY SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK Course Syllabus Weekly OTG Fall 2019 CSW: Working with Survivors of Abuse & Trauma 19:910:523:X Index #: _____________ Instructor Name: ______________________ Day & Time of Class: _______________________ Location: _______________________________ Office Address: _______________ Phone: _______________Email:_________________ Office Hours: ________ I. Catalog Course Description This course examines social work practice theories and intervention approaches and skills as they apply to practice with childhood and adult survivors of physical, sexual and other forms of abuse and trauma. Particular attention will be made to the use of engagement, assessment, planning, intervention, evaluation and follow up on the micro, mezzo, and macro levels of practice. An emphasis will also be placed on diversity and use of social work ethics and values when working with survivors of abuse and trauma. II. Course Overview This course addresses theories, skills and interventions utilized in the direct practice with survivors of physical, sexual and other forms of interpersonal abuse and trauma. It builds upon foundational social work practice knowledge, values and skills by focusing on direct practice interventions with childhood and adult survivors of abuse and trauma. Specific theoretical frameworks such as empowerment, strengths, feminist perspective, and trauma’s effects on brain and body will be used to discuss strategies for providing services to individuals who experienced trauma or physical, emotional, sexual abuse in childhood or adulthood. All steps in the social work intervention process will be addressed including, engagement, assessment, planning, intervention, evaluation and follow up, to identify specific skills and knowledge utilized to serve this population.
[Show full text]
Greenleaf Integrative Strategies Resiliency in Work & Life
Greenleaf Integrative Strategies Resiliency in Work & Life Siddharth Ashvin Shah, MD, MPH CEO, Greenleaf Integrative Strategies Siddharth is a physician, public health scientist, and thought leader who works with people and organizations operating in demanding and traumatic environments. His lifelong pursuit of improving systems of wellbeing and helping helpers led him to become one of the few physicians dedicated to serving the crisis and disaster response workforce. Dr. Shah has led efforts and teams to help manage workforce stress and trauma stemming from the 9/11 attacks, international civil/paramilitary violence and terrorism, cases of domestic terrorism, and natural disasters. Siddharth serves as CEO of Greenleaf Integrative Strategies, an organization that has grown out of his consulting to governments, health care organizations, NGOs, and the private sector. Since 2009, this includes serving several USAID offices in the capacity of workforce training, trauma-informed design, strategic communications, and leadership effectiveness. Dr. Shah’s expertise and publications span integrative medicine, emotional wellbeing, organizational dynamics, staff care, traumatic stress, vicarious traumatization, resilience, and cross-cultural adaptation. He recently led a study to characterize the concerns and needs of USAID personnel both in DC and in the field: Stress and Resilience Issues Affecting USAID Personnel in High Operational Stress Environments. The recommendations of this study are currently helping to change the way the enterprise manages and leads personnel affected by volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous conditions. Dr. Shah received his B.A. in Religious Studies from Rice University and completed his M.D. at Baylor College of Medicine. After one year of specialized training at the Karl Menninger School of Psychiatry, he went to the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai for advanced training in Preventive and Behavioral Medicine and a Masters in Public Health.
[Show full text]
Trauma, Depression, and Burnout in the Human Rights Field: Identifying Barriers and Pathways to Resilient Advocacy
TRAUMA, DEPRESSION, AND BURNOUT IN THE HUMAN RIGHTS FIELD: IDENTIFYING BARRIERS AND PATHWAYS TO RESILIENT ADVOCACY Sarah Knuckey,* Margaret Satterthwaite,** & Adam Brown*** TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction. ............................................ 269 I. Existing Research and Training Materials on Mental Health and Human Rights ................................................. 272 A. Research on Human Rights Advocates ................... 272 B. The Human Rights Field's Approach to Mental Health and Wellbeing ....................................... ..... 276 C. Insights from Research on Related Fields: Risk Factors and Strategies for Resilience ........................... ...... 279 II. Study Design ................................. ........ 288 * Lieff Cabraser Associate Clinical Professor of Law; Director, Human Rights Clinic; Co-Director, Human Rights Institute, Columbia Law School. LL.M., Harvard Law School; LL.B., University of Western Australia; B.A., University of Western Australia. ** Professor of Clinical Law, N.Y.U. School of Law; Faculty Director, Center for Human Rights and Global Justice and the Bernstein Institute for Human Rights. J.D., N.Y.U. School of Law; M.A., University of California at Santa Cruz; B.A., Eugene Lang College. The author gratefully acknowledges support from the Filomen D'Agostino Research Fund at N.Y.U. School of Law. *** Associate Professor of Psychology, Sarah Lawrence College; Adjunct Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry, N.Y.U. School of Medicine. Ph.D., M.A., New School for Social Research; B.A., University of Oregon. The authors collectively thank Miguel Zamora, Alexandra Zetes, Ria Singh Sawhney, and Amanda McNally for outstanding research assistance. The authors would also like to thank Richard A. Bryant, Amy Joscelyne, Meng Li, and Meng Qian for their work on the development of a survey and data analysis that informed this paper.
[Show full text]
Islamophobia” March 3, 2011 in Nyc
25 East 21st Street, 6th Floor, New York, NY 10010 (877) 668-AGPA (2472) www.agpa.org Media Contact: Diane C. Feirman, CAE 877-668-AGPA (2472) [email protected] FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE AGPA CONFERENCE TO OFFER COURSE ON “ISLAMOPHOBIA” MARCH 3, 2011 IN NYC NEW YORK, January 28, 2011 - On September 15, 2001 Balbir Singh Sodhi, a Sikh American of Indian origin was consulting with landscapers in front of the gas station and convenience store he owned in Mesa Arizona. A pick-up truck drew up to them. Frank Roque, the driver of the truck, opened fire, shooting and killing Sodhi. When he was arrested shortly afterward Roque offered the statement “I am a patriot!!” Less than a year later, Sodhi’s brother was shot and killed in an unrelated though eerily parallel crime. As if that weren't enough tragedy to befall one family, still another brother who continues to work at the convenience store at which Balbir was gunned down, is routinely targeted for such hate speech as: “Go back to Iraq.” Attacks on Muslims and those perceived to be Muslim have increased exponentially after 9/11 (the FBI reports a 17 fold increase immediately after the 9/11 attacks) not only in the United States but around the world. Such hate and bias crimes are the focus of a course being offered by the American Group Psychotherapy Association during its Annual Training, February 28 - March 5, 2011 in New York City at the Sheraton New York Hotel and Towers. Islamophobia in a Post 9/11 World: Addressing General Insecurity and Mitigating Harm to “Anyone Appearing Muslim” will be presented on Thursday, March 3rd from 10:00 AM to 5:30 PM.
[Show full text]