We train 18-to-22 year-olds to deliver effective group-therapy within a tiered community-based care model.

Our program offers brief and effective interventions that are low-stigma and unobtrusive, focusing on broader human functioning. The Shamiri Intervention teaches valuable skills such as growth mindset, gratitude, problem-solving, and value affirmations. A key component of our approach is core belief targeting, which aims at fostering positive beliefs, thoughts, and behaviors by addressing individuals' core beliefs about themselves and the world. Our methods are evidence-based, proving that low-touch therapy is effective for common mental health disorders. This approach is not only cost-effective, drastically reducing costs compared to traditional therapy and thus enhancing accessibility, but it also serves as a low-stigma entry point, removing the stigma often associated with conventional psychotherapy.

Tiered caregiving is a cost-effective approach to psychotherapy that involves matching young people with the appropriate care according to their specific clinical needs, such as symptom type and severity. This model involves several levels of care providers. Shamiri Fellows, who deliver group-based interventions and offer near-peer support, form the first level. The second level consists of Clinical Supervisors, also known as Shamiri Supervisors, who provide clinical oversight and one-on-one psychotherapy. For more complex cases requiring escalation and intensive care, Clinical Experts, including psychologists and psychiatrists, are involved. This tiered caregiving approach has several benefits. It offers psychotherapy at a clinically appropriate level of care. Depending on the clinical need, users are paired with peer counsellors, lay-providers, clinical social workers, and expert psychiatrists and psychologists. Additionally, this model enables the provision of care at less than 5% of the cost of standard care, making it extremely cost-effective.