M.A., Ph.D. (Madras)
ashabanu@tiss.edu
+91 22 25525465
Dr. Asha Banu Soletti is currently Professor at the Centre for Health and Mental Health, School of Social Work (SSW), Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai. She is also the Dean, Student's Affairs, TISS. She was the Chairperson of the Centre for Health and Mental Health (CHMH), SSW, from 2012 to 2018. She teaches Master's level courses in Public Health and Mental Health. Her research projects and field engagements focuses on understanding, evolving and strengthening interventions addressing the social determinants of health, with special focus on marginalised communities. Her field engagement includes co-constructing community-led interventions for emerging public health concerns in both urban and rural contexts. Presently, she leads Pragati: Integrated Rural Health and Development Project, a Field Action Project, which is located in a tribal belt and caters to the health needs of the Warli and Katkari tribes. She has published on specific issues concerning older adults that explores inequities in later life, elder abuse and ageism. She has actively responded and contributed to the disaster relief work operations of the Institute.
During Dr. Soletti's leadership with the CHMH, she spearheaded the forging of academic partnership between TISS and The Banyan, Chennai. She also facilitated the formalising of the agreement between TISS and INHS-Asvini to offer the M.Phil. programme in Psychiatric Social Work.
She was awarded the Linnaeus-Palme Fellowship to visit and teach at the Gothenburg University, Sweden, in 2012. She also serves in Institutional Review Board (IRB) of many organisations. She is actively involved in training and capacity building, monitoring and evaluation in the Public Health domain, and has several peer-reviewed publications to her credit.
ORCiD id:
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1787-9827
Scopus id:
https://www.scopus.com/authid/detail.uri?authorId=55205111300
Social Determinants of Health and Mental Health
Community Health and Community Mental Health Practice
Community engagement in Public Health
Mental Health Literacy; School Mental Health
Aging and Elder Abuse; Diversity in later life
Current Projects: Field Action
Project Director: Pragati-Integrated Rural Health and Development project (IRHDP), Aghai, Shahpur Taluk (2009 Onwards)
https://www.facebook.com/IRHDP
https://tiss.edu/view/11/projects/integrated-rural-health-and-development-project/?fbclid=IwAR0MtWfAF704GoH81wy_ySF3jZ7JBmEje5X-Jbsx-iXXeeXY3QAQWJ0_GNQ
COVID-19 response
Completed Projects:
Mental Health Literacy in Urban and Rural Communities in Kerala, India: An Interdisciplinary Approach Using Applied Theatre Methodology (MeHeLP India) (International Interdisciplinary Project with Prof. Raghu Raghavan, (De Montfort University, DMU) and others, UK and Dr.Sivakami Muthusamy, TISS
Funding: ESRC-AHRC-GCRF, UK.
Involvement in the project: Co-Investigator.
Duration of the project: From September 2018 to December 2021
Visit https://www.mehelp.in/
Experiences of caregivers in a home based palliative model: A qualitative study , funded by PALCARE - THE JIMMY S BILIMORIA FOUNDATION
E-Content Project-Coure Coordinator: Social Work (Mental Health), University Grants Commission and Ministry of Human Resources Development, Government of India, 2017
Co-Investigator: Evaluation study of "Changing Lives throught sports: Street 20 program" funded by Barclays, 2015
Principal Investigator: Internet-based HIV prevention for Indian MSM in association with HUMSAFAR sponsored by NIH/ICMR, 2012-2014
Dementia related Stigma in Urban India: Perspectives of Patients, Caregivers and Health Care Providers funded by Morning Side-Columbia University School of Social Work, 2012
Training of trainers module on “Community Mental Health and Development” for senior level development workers and district level professionals working in the field in collaboration with the Centre for Disability Studies and Action and an NGO – Basic Needs India, Bangalore, 2011, sponsored by DRS-UGC, MPSW, 2011
Principal Investigator: Reducing Adolescent HIV-Infection in Maharashtra, India: A Family-Based Approach sponsored by NIH/ICMR, 2008-2011
Factors influencing the Mental Health of the elderly, sponsored by DRS-UGC, MPSW, 2011
A situational analysis and Needs Assessment of Child-Headed Households and Community Foster Care in the context of HIV/AIDS, sponsored by India AIDS Alliance, 2004-2006
Social Work:
Public Health and Mental Health:
Gerontology: