upcoming grant deadline: 05/15/2024
Ras will write a dystopia sci-fi novel that explores the intersection of mental health treatment, mass incarceration, racism, and poverty from the perspective of a social work trainee at a local juvenile detention center. For the novel, Ras will research the histories of forced experimentation, medication, and incarceration of those deemed “dangerous to the status quo.” She will also organize a roundtable discussion with mental health professionals and survivors to facilitate understanding and dialogue between the groups. Through this project, Ras wants to draw awareness to issues of surveillance and violence in poor communities and amplify the voices of both survivors and workers who are impacted by these systems in hopes to promote solidarity. Ras sees this book as a tool to teach social workers about the cultural intricacies of “diagnosis” and “treatment,” as well as the historical distrust among vulnerable populations.