The Donald J. Cohen Fellowship Program: From Mentorship to Family - A call to support our crowd funding campaign
By: Dr. Sowmyashree Mayur Kaku, MBBS, Ph.D1, Prof Jordan Sibeoni, MD PhD2
1 Senior Consultant, Infant, Child and Adolescent Mental Health (ICAMH), Department of Pediatrics, PES Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Kuppam, India, Adjunct Faculty, St. John's Research Institute, Bengaluru, India, Co-Founder, The Yoga Environment and Neuroscience Research Institute (YENRI) Trust, Bengaluru, India2 PUPH, psychiatrie de l'enfant et de l'adolescent,Université Paris Cité , Chef de service, Service universitaire, IP²SEA, Intervention Précoce en Psychiatrie: Soins- Entourage- Adolescents, Pôle Psychiatrie et Santé Mentale, Centre Hospitalier Victor Dupouy, 95107 ArgenteuilECSTRRA Team, UMR-1342, Institut de Recherche Saint Louis, Inserm
In 2014, two young early-career professionals from different parts of the world joined the Donald J. Cohen Fellowship Program (DJCFP) as fellows at the IACAPAP World Congress. Like many others entering the program for the first time, we arrived with excitement, nervousness, curiosity, and the hope of finding connection within the global child and adolescent mental health (CAMH) community.
More than a decade later, we now have the privilege of serving as coordinators of the DJCFP. Looking back, this journey captures something deeply important about the fellowship itself. The DJCFP is not simply a scholarship program or an opportunity to attend a congress. It is a living global network of mentorship, friendship, collaboration, and shared purpose. For many of us, it has become a family.
Established in 2004 in honour of Professor Donald J. Cohen, the fellowship was envisioned by leaders such as Prof Helmut Remschmidt, nurtured by previous coordinators Andres Martin, Joaquin Fuentes, Ayesha Mian and Naoufel Gaddour, as a way to support and nurture emerging leaders in child and adolescent mental health across the world. Over the years, it has brought together hundreds of young psychiatrists, psychologists, researchers, pediatricians, therapists, social workers, and allied professionals from diverse cultural and professional backgrounds.
Yet what makes the program truly special often happens outside lecture halls and conference sessions.
It happens in informal conversations between mentors and fellows that continue long after the congress ends. It happens when young professionals from vastly different settings realize they share similar hopes and struggles in caring for children and families. It happens through collaborations, friendships, and networks that grow quietly over years and across continents.
At a time when CAMH challenges are increasing globally, the need for mentorship and international collaboration has become even more urgent. Across many parts of the world, young professionals work within overstretched systems, limited resources, and growing clinical demands. Many are building services where none previously existed, conducting research in underrepresented communities, advocating for children’s mental health within difficult systems, and trying to create meaningful change despite enormous challenges.
These are precisely the individuals the fellowship seeks to support.
Figure 1: Group photo of DJCFP 2014
Figure 2: Group photo of DJCFP 2024
One of the greatest strengths of the DJCFP has always been its commitment to inclusion and global representation, particularly for professionals from low- and middle-income countries. The fellowship recognizes that the future of CAMH leadership must emerge not only from major academic centres, but also from diverse communities, cultures, and contexts across the world.
As coordinators preparing for Hamburg 2026, we continue to be inspired by the remarkable dedication, creativity, and resilience of applicants from across continents. Every application tells a story of commitment to children and families, of perseverance, and of hope for a better future in mental health care.
But sustaining this vision requires collective effort.
The DJCFP has always depended on the generosity of donors, mentors, institutions, and supporters who believe in investing in the next generation of CAMH leaders. Every contribution helps create opportunities for young professionals who may otherwise never have access to such global mentorship and learning experiences.
Most importantly, it is helping sustain a global CAMH family, one that continues to grow across generations. We hope that, with continued support from the international community, many more young professionals will find not only mentorship through the DJCFP, but also belonging, inspiration, and a lifelong global network committed to improving the lives of children and young people everywhere.
This article represents the view of its author(s) and does not necessarily represent the view of the IACAPAP's bureau or executive committee.
