About Us
Human connection and the relationships we constantly build are the core strengths of the Mehac Foundation.
Mehac Foundation (Mental Health Care & Research Foundation) is a not-for-profit organization providing mental health services since 2008 .
We are committed to helping people with mental illnesses and their families so that they live better lives . We do this by providing them long-term and comprehensive psychosocial care with the help of our multidisciplinary team. We also strive to provide free and quality mental health services to people from low-income families.
Over the past 12 years, we have provided mental health care to over 3000 beneficiaries across 6 districts in Kerala, with 98 percent of them coming from low-income families.
History
Mehac Foundation’s genesis is closely linked to the palliative care movement in North Kerala, which demonstrated the effectiveness of a community-based healthcare model. The movement began with the goal of giving care to people suffering from cancer and other terminal illnesses and gradually expanded to include people suffering from chronic mental illnesses.
This movement also allowed communities to assume ownership of healthcare programmes, engage with policy issues and related tasks and play an active role in the program's expansion. Dr Chitra Venkateswaran, Mehac's Founder and Clinical Director, has made significant contributions to this community-based movement.
Mehac Foundation has incorporated principles of the palliative care movement, by adapting it specifically to mental health, and delivering free mental health care. Our focus is on strengthening community mental health services and access to medication, as well as improving the quality of care through better community participation.