CHAI Presents Attorney Murthy with Humanitarian Award

At an awards luncheon on November 7, 2009, Attorney Sheela Murthy received the Radha Pathak Humanitarian Award from CHAI, Counselors Helping (South) Asians / Indians. The award recognized Ms. Murthy’s work in the field of immigration, and her generosity, both with her time and her many charitable contributions.

Like ASHA for Women, CHAI focuses on the unique needs of the South Asian community, providing outreach, referral and educational services on mental health and wellness issues for South Asians living in the Washington-Baltimore area. CHAI is dedicated to ending the stigma about mental health by educating the South Asian community on wellness and treatment. CHAI helps clients to find mental health providers who are knowledgeable about South Asian cultures, and have the language skills to effectively serve South Asian patients. CHAI also provides cross-cultural workshops, to help mental health professionals and social services agencies to achieve the cultural proficiency necessary to meet the unique needs of this community.

South Asia is an area of incredible cultural richness and diversity, spanning Afghanistan and Pakistan in the west, India, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives in the center, and Nepal, Bangladesh, and Bhutan in the east, and embracing a wealth of different languages and religious traditions. For all of these differences, there are many underlying commonalities among South Asian peoples and cultures, and it takes a deep knowledge of the region to make sense of this complex cultural landscape. CHAI exists to help South Asians get treatment that is culturally appropriate, linguistically accessible, and sensitive to the nuances of group membership and individual identity. These are very worthy goals, and Sheela Murthy has made them a priority by supporting the work of CHAI through her advocacy and philanthropic efforts. We urge you to support them, too!