In 1995, Dr. Jess Ghannam was one of two psychiatrists for the entire population of the Gaza strip. Jess’s work centers around community mental health, a model that aims to deliver care at scale by integrating with the community. We talk about how Jess’s own experience with intergenerational trauma as a Palestinian drew him to the mental health profession, how the Western model fails to meet global needs, and where we go from here.

Note: Since October 7th, much of this work in Gaza has been destroyed. And the needs right now are much more immediate–food, water, shelter, and a ceasefire. If you have the resources, Jess recommends a donation to KinderUSA (http://www.kinderusa.org/), currently providing food support to the region.

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