Centre for Mental Health, Social care and Livelihoods launched
The Banyan and BALM have launched a new center in Chennai focused on integrating mental health care with social support and livelihood programs. The initiative aims to address the social determinants of mental illness, such as poverty and homelessness, through a holistic approach.
Why it matters
This project highlights the need for systemic, community-based interventions in mental health that go beyond clinical symptom management.
In an effort to extend social support and care to persons with mental illness, Chennai-based NGO The Banyan, Aaladamara Foundation, and the Banyan Academy of Leadership in Mental Health (BALM) inaugurated the Centre for Mental Health, Social Care, and Livelihoods, and the Last Mile Mental Health and Social Care Praxis Lab on Sunday.
Speaking at the event, former Chief Secretary of Keralam S.M. Vijayanand said, “Village panchayats are the natural frontline of any service delivery. When the whole government disappears, the panchayats and SHGs (self-help groups) work together in most parts of India.”
He further said they were repositories of social capital, and that SHGs and panchayats also help raise awareness of mental health in the community.
The centre brings clinical, social, and economic responses together as one integrated approach across five domains: income and social protection, livelihoods, relational stability, support for vulnerable caregivers, and access to basic healthcare.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in