Portfolio | creatingsmilessg

With the support of a mentor, Nadera has come open about her challenges with mental illness. She has run exhibitions, shared her resilience story on various media platforms. She has sat on a panel as a speaker and voice for young people at various talks and events both locally and internationally.

Th Black Dog

Exhibition - The Black Dog

The Black Dog is creatingsmile's pet project to raise awarness on Depression, particularly chronic depression known as Dysthymic disorder. This project was done in collaboration with Community Health Assessment Team (CHAT) and SIM Global Education. The exhibition was hands-on whereby students had 5mins to explore a room to find clues that indicated that a student may be suffering from depression. Through the exhibition, the aim was to help them understand this 'invisible' illness, and the importance of looking deeper and beyond the surface in identifying and supporting their peers who may be having Depression.

Please contact us if you would like to hold this exhibition for your event.

International Conferences

International Association of Youth Mental Health (IAYMH) Conference 2017

Dublin, Ireland

As a Community Health Assessment Team (CHAT) Ambassador, Nadera joined the CHAT- IMH team and Orygen, a youth mental health program based in Melbourne, Australia, to facilitate a pre-conference workshop titled 'Building the right workforce to future proof youth mental health services'. Nadera was also invited by the conference organising committee to co-chair and be a panelist for a plenary session titled 'Including all voices'.

“It is the first time a youth representative from CHAT, from Singapore, has been on stage to co-chair and be a panelist. It was my very first time attending and speaking at an international conference as well, so I am eternally grateful to the organizing committee and CHAT-IMH in trusting me to carry out the roles."

Official video for Including All Voices - Panel Discussion - IAYMH 2017 can be viewed here.

Images and videos can be found here.

Video logs/Facebook Live can be found here.

International Association of Peer Supporters (iNAPS) Conference 2017

Arizona, USA

As a certified peer support specialist, Nadera joined a team comprising of peers, staff from IMH and the National Council of Social Service, and Resilience, Inc. which ran the Peer Support Specialist Course in Singapore, to present about Singapore and her journey on the peer support movement as one of the conference breakout sessions.

“It is the first time Singapore has attended iNAPS since we have only just begun our peer support journey. The welcome and support was astounding, and attendees were inspired by the work Singapore has done. I did not feel at all excluded as everyone there were so welcoming and kind to us peers. Needless to say the peers signed up to become members of iNAPS and we hope to continue playing a role in driving the peer support movement in Singapore further."

Images and videos can be found here.

Together Against Stigma International Conference 2019

Singapore

Together with other members of the Community of Peer Support Specialist (CPSS), Nadera curated a 1.5hr workshop that helped delegates to experience the benefits of peer support and how peer support interactions are done through a series of hands-on activities.

"We only had 3 months i think to plan for this? Everyone was dong this as avolunteers and it was amazing to see how everyone came together simply out of passion and drive to inform others about the role of a peer support specialist. It is gratifying to curate and execute something from start to finish and see the positive response from local and international delegates. I am proud to be part of CPSS and wish to only help it grow."

Information on the Community of Peer Support Specialist can be found here.

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Media

Media Features and Interviews

Television

Channel NewsAsia Live

Vasantham

"I had never done any sharing in Tamil media for fear of how my family and relatives might take it. It was a tough period, still is, but looking back I'm really proud of myself for doing it. The stigma of mental health may be big in society, but it's even bigger in the Indian community. I hope my sharing has helped in some way."

The Straits Times

The Mighty on Mental Illness

1) To Those Who Hide Their Mental Illness (2017)

2) How ‘Learning Not to Be an Expert’ on My Mental Illness Helped Me in My Own Recovery (2019)

3) 5 Things You Shouldn't Do or Say to Someone Who Self-Harms (2021)

The Right Side 2 - National Committee on Youth Guidance and Rehabilitation (NYGR)

https://www.msf.gov.sg/NYGR/.../The%20Right%20Side%202.pdf

SG Psych Stuff

https://sgpsychstuff.blogspot.sg/2017/01/creatingsmiles.html

Domains of Singapore Tutoring

http://www.domainofexperts.com/2017/03/conversing-with-angel-of-creating-smiles.html

CLEO Magazine

How Can I Help Someone Who Is Suicidal And What Can I Say?

Stories We Don't Tell

Stories We Don’t Tell by Hun Ming Kwang | Goodreads

What’s Hidden In Singapore’s Conversation About Mental Health?

https://regardless.sg/whats-hidden-in-singapores-conversation-about-mental-health/

Radio

938 Live

"The second time I went on 938LIVE was to talk about the National Council of Social Service's initiatives in educating the public on mental health issues, and on encouraging employment for persons with mental health issues. I shared my personal story and talked about how NCSS not only encourages employers to be inclusive through its initiatives, but how they themselves have supported me in my employment with them. I was heartened to have my colleagues listening in too which I remembered to mention because beyond just structural support, what really makes a difference is the social support I've received through my colleagues at work.