Middle East

Neurology and Psychiatry Capacity Building

This collaboration is aimed building clinical capacity at the American University of Beirut in Lebanon. Both in person and virtually, Dr. Zeina Chemali trains faculty and staff delivering lectures on behavioral neurology and neuropsychiatry, attending clinical case conferences, and rounding with physicians. Dr. Chemali continues to see refugees and Lebanese affected by wars and with low socioeconomic income in the outpatient department clinic there as part of trauma informed neuropsychiatric care.

This intervention, led by Dr. Zeina Chemali, targeted host communities in Lebanon and Syrian refugees in the Mount Lebanon region between 2014 – 2018. Working with village municipalities, techniques from the Relaxation Response and Resiliency Program (3RP) were taught to groups on both sides to build resilience and defer tension through mediation, problem solving, and collaborative community structural work. This intervention is currently under review by the National Mental Health response to address multiple ministries in Lebanon’s government.