24×7 Toll-Free Mental Health Rehabilitation Helpline KIRAN of M/o Social Justice and Empowerment to be launched by Thaawar Chand Gehlot tomorrow

Thaawar Chand Gehlot, Union Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment will launch “KIRAN” TOLL-FREE Mental Health Rehabilitation Helpline(1800-599-0019) number August 27, 2020, through virtual mode. Social Justice & Empowerment Ministry, along with its partners, aims has developed this.

The purpose of launching ‘KIRAN’ Mental Health Rehabilitation is to support for early screening, first-aid, psychological support, distress management, mental wellbeing, preventing deviant behaviours, psychological crisis management etc.; the helpline will offer mental health rehabilitation services. It targets to resolve issues of people across the country experiencing stress, anxiety, depression, panic attack, adjustment disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, substance abuse, suicidal thoughts, pandemic induced psychological issues &mental health emergency.

The idea was conceived by Shakuntala D. Gamlin (Secretary, DEPwD), based on the prevalence of mental health issues in India and the need to create access to emergency relief and support to the vulnerable population experiencing psychological problems due to the unprecedented nature of pandemic COVID-19. Dr Prabodh Seth (Joint Secretary, DEPwD) mentored the helpline project and coordinated with all the National Institutes and Composite Regional Centers across the country for the effective execution of the helpline.

The Helpline will be supported by 660 volunteer Clinical/Rehabilitation Psychologists and 668 volunteer Psychiatrists, along with 75 experts at 25 helpline centres who will have the capacity of handling 300 clients per hour. There is a three-level mechanism of support, the caller will first be connected to the location-based helpline-centre, and then as per need referred to rehabilitation/clinical psychologists/psychiatrists. Follow-up &support will be extended at the third-level. For training of mental health centres, three training programs have been conducted.

The helpline will offer support in 13 languages for any individual, family, NGOs, DPOs, Parent Associations, Professional Associations, Rehabilitation Institutes, Hospitals or anyone in need of assistance across the country including Ladakh, Kashmir, Jammu, 08 North-Eastern States, Andaman & Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep.

The helpline will be coordinated by the National Institute for the Empowerment of Persons with Multiple Disabilities (NIEPMD, Chennai) and National Institute of Mental Health Rehabilitation (NIMHR, Sehore). Collaboration for the helpline has been received from the Indian Association of Clinical Psychologists (IACP), Indian Psychiatrists Association (IPA) and Indian Psychiatric Social Workers Association (IPSWA).

During the virtual inaugural of ‘Kiran’ helpline, its poster, brochure and resource book will be released.