Vasudev N. Makhija, MD
Dr. Makhija, a psychiatrist in New Jersey, is a Diplomate, American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology and Distinguished Life Fellow, American Psychiatric Association. He is the Founder and President of SAMHIN, South Asian Mental Health Initiative and Network, a non-profit organization. He continues to be involved in the operations and development and implementation of SAMHIN’s programs. In 2023, under Dr. Makhija’s leadership, SAMHIN was the recipient of American Psychiatric Association Foundation’s award for Advancement of the Minority Mental Health.
Dr. Makhija is the Past-President of New Jersey Psychiatric Association, Chair of Council on Member Services (2013-2017), and served as Chair of the Program and Awards Committee of NJPA (2006 – 2010). Dr. Makhija served on the Union County Mental Health Board for six years until March 2013 (Chair 2011 – 2013). He is a recipient of Golden Merit Award for his contributions to NJPA. In 2010 Dr. Makhija received an Exemplary Psychiatrist Award from National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI).
Dr. Makhija serves as Clinical Supervisor of Jana Raksha Community Care Program, a volunteer-run program of Arsha Bodha Center in Somerset, NJ. Arsha Bodha Center is an ashram dedicated to the traditional teaching of Sanskrit, meditation, Vedanta, Bhagavad Gita, and spiritual practices. Jana Raksha Community Care Program is a spiritually-based free support program for the community.
Satishkumar H. Patel, MD
Dr. Patel has been in private practice of psychiatry for more than ten years in New Jersey. He is board certified in the Child & Adolescent psychiatry. He has served as a volunteer for SAMHIN for several years. Through his involvement Dr. Patel has become acutely aware of the barriers and challenges to help seeking in the South Asians. As an immigrant from South Asia, he has a vested interest in addressing the mental health needs including stigma of the South Asian community. He was previously an Assistant Professor/Clinical Assistant Professor at Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine. Dr. Patel brings his valuable experiences to serve SAMHIN.
Minoo Christian, MSW
Ms. Christian has been working in the HIV field since 2003. She started as a community-based medical case manager at an AIDS service organization, assisting marginalized clients to navigate the healthcare system in Detroit. Many of her clients were minorities with complex psychosocial issues including homelessness, incarceration as well as histories of mental illness, substance abuse and/or trauma. This work developed her passion for public health and mental health, especially with minority populations.
Trained as a social worker, Ms. Christian has experience outreaching in the field, facilitating treatment groups, developing programs, coordinating public health operations, conducting trainings, writing/managing grants, and leading planning councils/committees. She works at Rutgers University-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School-Eric B. Chandler Health Center, where she provides programmatic and fiscal oversight of the Infectious Disease Department grants.
Ms. Christian has volunteered with SAMHIN since 2018 on multiple projects including editing blog posts and marketing materials, creating video content for Coming Out Day, implementing a workshop for suicide prevention, and writing grants to help SAMHIN initiatives. As a Board Member, she hopes to serve her community by continuing this meaningful work and helping SAMHIN grow.
Amana Alam, LMHC
Amana Alam is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) serving individuals in both private practice and agency settings in Long Island, NY. She works with a wide range of populations, with a specialized focus on trauma, domestic violence, and alcohol and substance use disorders.
Amana is deeply committed to community-centered care and advocacy, with a strong passion for increasing mental health awareness within the South Asian community while remaining inclusive and accessible to all. She strives to challenge stigma, create culturally sensitive spaces, and ensure that individuals feel seen, heard, and supported regardless of their background.
Her work is rooted in compassion, respect, and a deep belief that everyone deserves access to care, understanding, and the opportunity to heal and grow. She is invested in the reach and growth of SAMHIN and plans to develop a New York team to organize mental health events there and promote mental wellness.
Shashi Khanna, LCSW
Shashi Khanna is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) providing individual, group, couples, and family therapy for adults and children. She brings nearly two decades of experience across inpatient and outpatient settings, with a focus on mental health and substance use concerns. Her work is grounded in a comprehensive understanding of each client’s life context, helping clients build effective coping skills and support lasting recovery.
Her clinical approaches include CBT, DBT, Prolonged Exposure, SMART Recovery, and EMDR. She is also trained in Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) for trauma resolution. She incorporates mindfulness and wellness strategies informed by an in-depth biopsychosocial assessment to support whole-person care.
Shashi is a culturally responsive clinician and has volunteered with the South Asian Support Group through the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). Shashi is a co-facilitator for the SAMHIN’s SAHARA Grief Support Group.
She earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in social work from Rutgers University and holds additional degrees in business and education from India. She also completed a post-graduate certificate in Bowen Family Therapy.
Shashi is committed to providing a supportive, nonjudgmental space where clients can gain insight, strengthen relationships, and build a more balanced life.
She also provides clinical supervision for clinicians working toward full licensure. She will use her experience and expertise to help program development at SAMHIN.
Rupa M. Khetarpal, PhD, LCSW
Dr. Rupa Khetarpal is a licensed psychotherapist in New Jersey and New York with over 20 years of experience specializing in trauma, interpersonal violence, and culturally responsive mental health care. Her clinical work focuses on survivors of domestic and sexual violence, complex trauma and PTSD, intergenerational conflict, and the mental health impact of migration. She currently serves as Chief Operating Officer at Trauma Consulting, Training and Clinical Services in Madison, New Jersey, where she leads organizational strategy and provides mental health care to both survivors and individuals who have caused harm. Dr. Khetarpal is also an adjunct faculty member at the Rutgers University School of Social Work, where she teaches trauma and advanced clinical practice in the graduate program.
Dr. Khetarpal brings extensive academic and programmatic leadership experience to her work. She served as Associate Professor of Teaching at Rutgers and as the Director of the Interpersonal Violence Certificate Program at the Center for Research on Ending Violence. She led academic, training, and community partnership initiatives for over a decade. Earlier in her career, she directed the Cross-Cultural Counseling Center at the International Institute of New Jersey, where she developed and managed a multicultural mental health program serving immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers from over 40 countries.
Deeply committed to advancing mental health equity in South Asian communities, Dr. Khetarpal served on the advisory council for SAMHAJ (NAMI–NJ) and is a co-founder of SAMBHAV (South Asian Mental & Behavioral Health Advocacy). As a Board member at SAMHIN, Dr. Khetarpal will contribute to policy development, expand education initiatives around the issues of trauma and interpersonal violence, and help build culturally grounded mental health supports for the South Asian community. Dr. Khetarpal is committed to serving as an active ambassador for the organization by supporting fundraising efforts, strengthening partnerships, and amplifying SAMHIN’s visibility and impact within and beyond the South Asian community.
Vani Vetriselvan
Ms. Vani Vetriselvan has a financial background and started her career as a Financial Analyst. She has been working in the Information Technology field as Business Analyst/Project Manager on various projects for over 12 years. She used her technical knowledge to help SAMHIN’s data organization in spreadsheets and helped the team with creative ideas and solutions to manage the operations and events smoothly. She has been leading SAMHIN’S technical team and managing SAMHIN’s website modernization project, which will be launched soon.
Vani has great interest in serving the community and advocating mental health awareness. She has been giving back to society by volunteering with SAMHIN’s workshops, health fairs, helpline enquiries and other community outreach activities. By becoming a board member, she strengthens her alignment with SAMHIN’s mission.