Tamil Nadu has been actively involved in the care of wandering mentally ill individuals. Following an announcement in the Health budget, a State Policy for Homeless Persons with Mental Illness will be released. In response, the National Health Mission, Tamil Nadu is preparing a draft policy to strengthen existing efforts. To ensure the proper care of this vulnerable population, the entire process from rescue to rehabilitation will be streamlined and standardized. This will help ensure uniformity among all stakeholders.
Four Rs
- Rescue: There is a large number of homeless persons present on the streets of Tamil Nadu, the ones with mental illness will be identified and rescue operations will be carried out.
- Rehabilitation: Comprehensive efforts will be made to restore the community functioning and well-being of the individuals diagnosed with Psychiatric disorders. Specialized care will also be provided which might vary for all.
- Reunion: These individuals will be reconnected to their families or other primary support networks so that their emotional and financial needs can be looked after thereby providing a stable environment.
- Reintegration: This involves a broader process of reintegrating these individuals back into society. Despite their mental health challenges, they have the complete right to participate fully in social, economic, and community life, hence community-based mental health support will be provided to foster their social inclusion.
Key features of the Policy:
- Stakeholder involvement: NGOs, government departments, civil societies, and other stakeholders will work collaboratively to maximize the support for the ones in need.
- Role definition: Clear roles will be defined for each stakeholder to improve the coordination and effectiveness of the rescue-to-rehabilitation program.
- Community-based Rehabilitation: “Presently, the Emergency Care and Recovery Centres (ECRC) that cater to the wandering mentally ill in the State follow a method starting from rescue to immediate care/admission, recovery, rehabilitation, reuniting with family, social inclusion and continuum of care. The policy aims to strengthen these processes and bring uniformity across the State. Various NGOs are also involved, and we want to have common procedures in place.” an official said according to The Hindu.
- Monitoring and Standardization: District Mental health Committees will monitor rescue operations as well as the process of reunion. Emergency Care and Recovery Centres (ECRCs) of the state will look into standardized protocols to ensure quality of care.
- Bio-psycho-social Approach: It is expected that the policy will focus on monitoring rescue operations/reunion with families through the District Mental Health Committees, enabling social reintegration through supported accommodation, ensuring a continuum of care by linking to the District Mental Health Programme and providing a rehabilitation package that takes a bio-psychosocial approach that includes provision of social welfare benefits to them, officials said.
This policy promises to restore the dignity of individuals with psychiatric disorders and promote community integration for individuals. Looking ahead, the policy sets hopes for compassionate mental health initiatives, with aspirations to enhance quality of life and social inclusion across the region. This policy has the potential to act as a model for other states to follow to understand the sensitivities and comprehensively support homeless individuals with mental illnesses.
Read More: The Connection Between Poverty and Mental Health
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