E

ducation

171

Diploma alumni facilitating outpatient clinic access for persons with mental illness

ollowing pages (172–173):

Diploma alumni on a home visit to address psycho-social distress

experienced by a family and children

c

o-operation regarding the programme in the

community. An example was when Childline

was used for prevention of child marriage

with the support of the community.

Community Mental Healthcare diploma

programme participants are chosen in

inclusive ways. ‘e policies include

encouraging service users, minorities,

marginalized (PWDs, LGBTQIA+, rural and

tribal population, etc.),’ says Dr. Vandana

Gopikumar, co-founder, BALM. With no

age restrictions except being an adult and

conducting programmes in regional languages

in locations that people can access are other

strategies employed by BALM. ‘Partnerships

with the government, NGOs and local

educational institutions result in them

offering their infrastructure for conducting

the classes and carrying out field visits and

fieldwork, ensuring skill upgradation of their

field staff by enrolling them as participants,’

explains Dr. Gopikumar.

BALM’s website states, ‘Research, social

action and public policy influence have

always been our pivots, as has building

effective and ethical leadership in the mental

health sector, sensitive to the needs of

vulnerable individuals and communities.’

HCL Grant Project Approach:

D

iploma

programmes in community mental healthcare

at panchayat level to increase trained

workforce for better treatment of mental

disorders, support services for persons at-risk

and care-givers

HCL Grant Project Title:

S

cale up of Diploma

in Community Mental Health Care

Beneficiaries:

1,000 gram panchayats (3,000

villages) across 20 districts

Location:

T

amil Nadu