Philidelphia, PA
Medha Saharya, MA (Psychology), is the Community Inclusion Interventionist at the Temple University Collaborative on Community Inclusion. With over seven years of international experience across diverse cultural settings, Medha works at the intersection of mental health, community, and belonging. At Temple, she leads the implementation of the Need To Be Needed intervention—a person-centered, participatory approach that supports individuals with psychosocial disabilities in identifying their strengths, setting meaningful goals, and finding avenues for deeper community engagement.
Rooted in the concept of ‘mattering’—the belief that each person is significant and makes a difference—her work explores how volunteering and purposeful contribution can serve as powerful tools to combat social isolation. Through this intervention, Medha facilitates pathways for individuals to build social connections, foster a sense of purpose, and engage more fully in their communities in the city of Philadelphia.
Medha’s practice is informed by her frontline experience during the COVID-19 pandemic in India, where she worked directly with people facing acute loneliness. Drawing on her mental health training, she creatively harnessed self-expression, the arts, and collective storytelling as tools for resilience, connection, and healing during a time of global crisis. Her work invites us to imagine communities where everyone not only belongs—but is needed.
Ambassador story coming soon!