Spring Break in Ghana:
Community Mental Health in a Global Context

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Program Overview

The College of Nursing and Health Professions (CNHP) has partnered with Firm Health Ghana Foundation to offer students the opportunity to experience the mental health care system in Tarkwa, Ghana. Students will also have the opportunity to learn about contextual factors that impact mental health such as community, religion, and culture. Students will visit several sites that engage in mental health treatment such as mental health hospitals and churches.

This program prepares students to engage in a global society by increasing their multicultural competence, providing an immersion experience, and experiencing innovative wellness practice not traditionally taught in western education. It includes intensive community engagement on mental health (radio and in-person discussion), community service, home visitation of some mental health patients, a visit to a faith-based church for mental health patients, a visit to a gold mine, and a night stay at Beyin. The group will visit  forts, beaches, and the only community residing on stilts. Each student will be responsible for the completion of a written research project.

By participating in this program, students will be able to:

1. Describe the role of culture on mental health treatment in Ghana
2. Identify the role of stigma on help seeking behaviors of citizens
3. Describe the mental health roles in the Ghana healthcare system
4. Effectively interact with culturally different clients and minimize the propensity for biased assessment
5. Recognize their own propensity towards ethnocentrism
6. Identify strengths of the mental health care system in Ghana
7. Apply one strategy to a population in the US

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Academics

Credit/Registration
Students will be registered for BACS T390 / T580 Community Mental Health in a Global Context, 4 credits as part of their spring term course load. Undergraduate students must leave room for the credits in their credit load when registering, or will be billed for credits exceeding the 20 credit maximum. Graduate students will be billed for 4 Drexel credits at their normal rate.

Instructor: Dr. Ebony White, Assistant Clinical Professor in Counseling and Family Therapy Department

Eligibility: Open to all majors. Students should have completed a pre-requisite course that addresses multicultural factors. Review the list of Ghana ICA Pre-requisite Examples

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Program Calendar

Arrival Date: March 24, 2024
Departure Date: March 30, 2024
*Students may extend their travel independently before or after program dates.

Tentative Itinerary Overview

Day One – Arrival
Arrival in Accra. Check into accommodations
Group dinner and review of itinerary for the week
 
Day Two – Orientation
Tour mental health units at at Tarkwa Municipal Hospital and Apinto Hospital (the oldest in Ghana)
Meet with leadership and students of the University of Mines and Technology
Group dinner
 
Day Three – Community Engagement
Engagement in a selected community
Community service in a selected community
Student facilitated Group Dialogue

Day Four – Radio Discussion and Home Visitation
Radio discussion on mental health on 2 radio stations
Home visits to mental health patients
Site visit to a gold producing mine
Student facilitated Group Dialogue
Group dinner

Day Five – Visit a Faith-Based Church and Luncheon
Full-day trip to a faith-based church for mental health patients
Visit addiction facility
Cultural visit to Cape Coast and Elmina castles
Student facilitate Group Dialogue
Dinner on own
 
Day Six – Cultural Visit
Cultural visit to Cape Coast and Elmina castles
Community service
Student Facilitated Group Dialogue 
 
Day Seven – School Visits
Morning lecture
School visit at village sustained by coco farming
School visit to secondary school
Student facilitated Group Dialogue 

Day Eight – Cultural Visit and Travel to Accra
Cultural visit to Nzulezu village, made of stilt-supported structures overlooking the Beyin River
Cultural visit to Apollonia Fort
Free time for shopping and enjoy the capital 

Day Nine – Departure
Final Presentations
Return flight to US

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Program Fee - $1,890

Due Nov. 15th $500 Advance Payment + $25 Application Fee
Due Jan. 15th $1,390 Final Payment
*All payments are non-refundable unless declined admission or program cancels for unforeseen reasons.

Included in Program Fee:

• Accommodations with private bathroom
• Daily breakfast and 4 group dinners
• Onsite transport including airport transfer
• Visits, tours, and activities
• On Call medical & emergency insurance

Not Included in Program Fee (Estimated):

• Round trip airfare to/from Ghana $1,400
• Lunches, some dinners $180
• Passport $165
• Yellow Fever vaccine $250
• Anti-Malaria prophylaxis (varies)
• Tourist visa $60
• Spending money $300
• US airport transfer $50
• Drexel tuition (normal rate)

ICA Financial Aid: Students may request an Adjusted Cost of Attendance by submitting the ICA program fee and estimated out of pocket expenses listed above to Drexel Central (via askdrexel). Doing so could make students’ eligible for additional financial aid.  Students may also be eligible to apply for Drexel's ICA Scholarships.

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More Information

Travel: Students will be required to obtain a tourist visa for entry to Ghana. A recommended flight itinerary will be provided. Students are responsible for booking their own airfare.

About Firm Health Ghana Foundation
Firm Health Ghana Foundation (FHGF) is an NGO interested in the prevention of renal disease through screening for early detection and education for awareness creation. The Foundation is registered with Ghana’s Registrar Generals Department since 2012 and has been collaborating with Ghana Health Service (GHS) to undertake health screening and related activities in the country. The foundation has visited 28 communities and screened over 9,000 people. The Foundation since 2013, has initiated a weekly public-health education program on a local FM radio station known as Dynamite FM (88.9). The radio program reaches over 25,000 people in about 26 communities every week. The foundation reinforces its advocacy efforts through community forums and durbars to educate traditional authorities and local healthcare givers.

About Tarkwa-Nsuaem Municipality
Located about 220 KM from the capital Accra, Tarkwa is the capital of the Tarkwa-Nsuaem Municipality, a Municipality in the Western Region of Ghana. Tarkwa has a settlement population of over 218,664 people. Tarkwa is the largest gold mining enclave in West Africa. It is home to two large-scale gold-producing multinational companies (Goldfields Ghana Limited and AngloGold Ashanti-Iduapriem Mine). The only Manganese company is also located in Tarkwa. The frontiers of mining in the Municipality are constantly pushed by the existence of the only mining University in West Africa (University of Mines and Technology). Due to the prevalence of gold, the majority of the people are involved in Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining. Others are engaged in farming, animal husbandry, and rubber plantation.