CHAI is composed of volunteers who are concerned about the mental health and wellness in the South Asian community. Our volunteers are diverse in experience, ethnicity, age and professions. CHAI members listed in the resource section of this website are mental health professionals such as Clinical Social Workers, School Counselors, Psychiatrists, and Professional Counselors. The CHAI Board members and Executive Director are listed below. In addition, CHAI is sponsored, in part, by Verizon Wireless, Avon Hello Tomorrow Fund, Mittendorf Foundation, and the Columbia Rotary Club.
Razia Kosi, LCSW - C, Executive Director
Founder of Counselors Helping (South) Asians/ Indians, Inc. (CHAI) a nonprofit organization dedicated to educating and the South Asian community about mental health and wellness issues and conducting cultural proficiency workshops with mental health professional. CHAI provides referrals to the South Asian community in search of therapists sensitive to the needs of South Asians. CHAI has also created two resource books to help the community understand issues about mental health and wellness. Ms. Kosi contributed several articles and edited the resource books. The books have been translated into Urdu and will be translated into Bengali, Hindi and Tamil. Ms. Kosi also created a model for Women’s Wellness groups that builds on the strengths of women while finding commonalities in themes of living between two cultures. Ms. Kosi has over a decade of experience in individual, family counseling and group therapy. She currently works in the Howard County public school system as a Cultural Proficiency Specialist. Her previous workshops have focused on the following subjects: cultural proficiency, strategies for school related behavior problems, healthy youth development, post 9/11 mental health issues, culture shock, cultural diversity, issues of poverty, anger management and cultural competence with the Muslim and the South Asian communities.
Babette R. Bierman, LCSW - C
Practiced Clinical Social Work in Baltimore City for over 45 years with experience at Jewish Family Services, Sheppard Pratt Hospital, Sinai Hospital, The Childrens’ Guild, The Johns Hopkins Hospital and as a Technical Assistant and Mental Health Consultant for Friends of the Family for 17 years before retirement. Maintained a private practice for children, adolescents, and adults. Served on numerous Boards including the Maryland Chapter of National Association of Social Workers, Pro Bono Counseling Project, North Baltimore Mental Health Center, and Florence Crittenton Services. Presently serving on the Maryland Foundation for Psychiatry Board and Mosaic Community Services Board. Adjunct Faculty-Field Liason , University of Maryland School of Social Work since 2005. Volunteer, Citizens Review Board for Children in Foster Care.
Mark Borchardt, CPA, CMA, CFM
Owner and President of MJB Consulting, LLC specializing in accounting solutions for Federal government clients with 20+ years experience in accounting, finance, budgeting, cash management, technology, and consulting. Has served on Partners for Community Solutions board in addition to CHAI board. Currently teaches CPA and CMA review courses for the CPA School of Washington.
Swaran Dhawan, LCSW - C, Board Chair
Former director of Social Work at Taylor Manor Hospital and Director of Professional Services for Family and Children Services of Maryland. Has been practicing Social Work as and Asian Indian living in the United States for over thirty years. Is currently on the Board of Directors for NAMI Baltimore. Provides pro bono counseling for Pro Bono Project. Serves as faculty liaison for graduate students at the University of Maryland School of Social Work and was appointed to the Governor's Foster Care Review Board.
Shannon Keeny
Shannon Keeny is a Cultural Proficiency Specialist in the Howard County Public School System. Her previous experience includes, resource teacher for Professional and Organizational Development in the Howard County Public School System and teaching in the classroom for five years at the elementary level. She has served in the past as a high school softball coach for three years. She is very committed to the development of teachers and all professionals in her field. Shannon currently lives in the Locust Point neighborhood located in Baltimore City. This is the first year of service within the CHAI organization.
Indira Kotval, LCSW - C, MPH
Graduate of the Tata Institute of Social Work in Bombay (MSW), and a graduate of the Bloomberg School of Public Health (MPH) in Baltimore. Practiced in non profit community - based agencies including Health Education Resource Organization, Project Place, and Women Accepting Responsibility for 25 years. Directed programs, wrote grants, and provided consultation regarding program management and grant writing to several community based agencies. Currently works as Faculty Liaison to the University of Maryland School of Social work.
Nikki Modi
Nikki Modi directs the national outreach efforts for the Asian and Pacific Islander American Scholarship Fund in Washington D.C. Nikki is a co-chair of the Asian Pacific Islander Caucus for the National Conference on Race and Ethnicity where she organized a panel addressing the mental health needs of API college students. Before that, she served as an Advocacy Fellow with the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund and the Community Outreach Intern for CHAI. She is a graduate of the University of Maryland, College Park where she earned her B.A. in Studio Art (Printmaking). While at UMCP, she served in the executive board for the Sikh Students Association and the Asian American Student Union. Her role as the VP of Advocacy involved investigating the mental health needs among the Asian Pacific American student body.
Dharma Naik
Dharma P. Naik is the Coordinator for Asian Pacific American Student Involvement and Advocacy at the University of Maryland, College Park. Dharma did counseling practica for her M.A. in Counseling and Personnel Services. She has led workshops on identity development, inclusive language use, organizational development, coalition building, student activism, leadership skills, and diversity for the East Coast Asian American Student Union Conference and other entities. She currently serves on the board of APAAN (the Asian Pacific American Alumni Network) at UMD, and the Asian Pacific American Network of College Student Educators International. Dharma is also a returning facilitator for APIA U: LEADERSHIP 101, an interactive college leadership training program offered nationally by The Organization of Chinese Americans (OCA), National Inc. Her academic research interests include student involvement and racial identity development of APIA, specifically South Asian American college students.
Vijaya Patil
Asma Shaikh – Stewart, BS Public Health/Epidemiology, MSHS Clinical Research
Asma is a clinical research professional with experience in both pharmaceutical (private) industry and government research. She has fundraising experience with the American Cancer Society. She has been with CHAI since 2005.
Advisory Board
Ashok Batra, Esq., MSW - Legal Advisor
Soniya Malhotra
Subadra Panchanadeswaran, Ph. D.
Bina Pancholi - Martin