Jasmeet Chagger (RN, BScN, MSc) and Maneet Chahal-Gill (RN, BScN, MSc) stand as Masters level Registered Nurses and South Asian mental health experts. Their journey unfolded from witnessing their close family members grapple with mental health challenges to identifying significant gaps in the mental health system during their clinical practice, particularly when assisting South Asian clients. This transformative process culminated in comprehensive research on the mental health needs within the South Asian community in Canada, enriching Jasmeet and Maneet’s understanding of the intricate dynamics associated with South Asian mental health.
Driven by passion, these trailblazers co-founded Soch Mental Health, a nonprofit organization dedicated to cultural and linguistic mental health promotion, prevention, and early intervention for South Asians. The organization endeavours to combat stigma and raise awareness by enhancing the mental health literacy of the South Asian community.
In the course of their work with Soch Mental Health, Jasmeet and Maneet identified yet another gap: South Asians lacked a streamlined method for finding therapists, hindering them from connecting with the right mental health professionals.
This realization became the catalyst for the birth of Soch Connect, a platform designed to bridge this crucial gap and facilitate meaningful connections between South Asians and therapists.