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Community Based Mental Health Awareness Project

2017 - 2020

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THE CHALLENGE

The aim of the project was to enhance social awareness about mental illness and to lessen the stigma associated with it. Through the initiative, Mehac aimed to sensitize doctors, staff nurses, junior public health nurses, palliative care nurses and volunteers (ASHA workers & Anganwadi teachers) in and around 12 Urban Health Centers of NHM in Kochi Corporation. The trained volunteers then spread awareness to BPL individuals and visited households to screen patients with mental illness using the data forms developed for the project.

OUR WORK

IMPACT

  • Trained 617 health care professionals

  • 23,391 BPL households in the Kochi Corporation sensitized by ASHA workers

  • 2534 Anganwadi workers trained

  • 21000 BPL mothers sensitized by the Anganwadi workers

  • 2000 volunteers received mental health awareness training

PARTNERSHIPS

Bharat Financial Inclusion Ltd (BFIL), National Health Mission (NHM, Ernakulam)

  • Development of a volunteer training manual in english and malayalam outlining how to train primary health care professionals in mental health

  • Creation of a mental health handbook that answered basic questions about mental health and illnesses

  • Health care workers trained by Mehac sensitized various BPL households in the Kochi Corporation (2017 - 2018)

  • Trained Anganwadi workers sensitized BPL mothers during parent-teacher meetings held in the Anganwadis of the Ernakulam district (2018 - 2019)

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