Note: The urban mental health programme does not have a psychiatric inpatient facility.

• Residents celebrated Republic Day at the end of the month. All the residents gathered together to sing and raise the flag.
• Tuberculosis Awareness Programme was conducted on 21^st January by REACH.
• Osteoporosis Reduction Camp was conducted on 24^th January by Dr. Manikandan from Hindu Mission.
• A visit to Puzal Prison was also made to assess current patients and motive inmates in general.

• Pongal and Republic day celebrated in health centre.
• Meeting with 9 Panchayat Heads was conducted in the Health Center to appeal to the government for psychiatric medicines in the PHC’s of Thiruporur Block.
• The Health Center premises were used as Training Center for training community Leaders and elected representatives by the DHAN foundation.

• Getting the CMHP manual ready with volunteers assistance.
• To streamline the various activities in the health Center in a structured manner.
• Training for staff of Health Center.
• Upscale documentation.
• Functioning of the meditation hall in PC.
• Representation of 25 Panchayath heads to the Kanchipuram Collector for appealing for medicines for the four PHC’s in Thiruporur Block
• Up scaling SHG activity – Income generative

• Sensitization programme on Alcoholism and mental illness Railway Protection Force at ICF was on 23.01.2010.
• 6 new individuals were employed through banyan daycare and employment programme.
• Disability Allowance Meeting Was on January 17, 2010.
• Completed first round of follow up home visit to all reintegrated residents in Chennai corporation health zone 1.
• Employed clients meeting

• This month saw fourteen clients registered in the Day Care Centre. Dinakar a new client is suffering from schizophrenia for the past four years, when he first came to the centre, he was in tears as he did not know how to cope with his illness. He was against taking medication and was violent. He was counselled and agreed to take medication. As days passed he started improving, he built a rapport with other clients.
• Aswin started working in counter sales in Tiffin box a small snack bar at Ashok nagar.
• Kannan, Manikandan and Ramachandran were already working at Lady Andal School Canteen. They started working in afternoon shift at Winner’s bakery at Purasaiwalkam.
• Swaminathan started working at Ratech Engineers a company where valves for carburetters were moulded and pressed.
• Employed clients meeting was held where clients discussed their issues openly. They were counselled to put more efforts and to work sincerely. Aswin and Swaminathan who had joined recently were happy with their work. Kannan, Ramachandran and Manikandan wanted weekly off and tea twice a day. They were informed that their grievances would be forwarded to their employer.
• Ms. Rama who had done an MSc in special education in Syracuese university and worked for seven years with middle and high school children 10 to 21 yrs with MI or MR interacted with Day Care Centre clients.

On 17th January 2010, fifty clients and their care givers gathered in KK Nagar for Disability Allowance meeting organized by The Banyan. The meeting started at 2pm with a session, focused on the importance of regular medication, review and importance of presence of care givers during the review. Mr. Chidambaram shared his experience of home visits and he announced the main events of next month. Ms. Punitha spoke about DA card and its procedure and distributed Disability allowance to fifty clients.

Sensitization programme on Alcoholism and mental illness for RPF

On 23rd January 2010, The Banyan organized a sensitization programme on alcoholism and mental illness for Railway Protection Force in TTC Auditorium, ICF. Programme was presided by Mr.Dharmalingam, IRPS and the session was facilitated by Mrs. Sheeba Williams, Psychologist, TT Renganathan Clinical research foundation, Adyar. Around hundred RPF staff participated in the programme. The session started with a video-audio presentation in Tamil and she explained how alcoholism affects the normal life of a person. Mr. Guru Mani, a member of Alcoholic Anonymous (AA) from TTK, shared his treatment experience and the role of AA in Treatment. The social work trainees conducted a pre and post assessment on awareness level among the audience.

• Disability Allowance Meeting on 21st February, 2010.
• Training workshop on Mental health for volunteers.
• Youth Club formation in KK Nagar.
• Eating disorder day programme.

• Gardening activities (Kitchen Garden with seasonal plants) have been increased at the centre.
• The women going to the day care center have initiated cooking as an activity and have shown remarkable improvement in their skills.
• Pongal was celebrated with full participation of all residents.
• Regular formal tie ups have been created with NIEPMD for assessments of the women at the centre.
• Trainer from Dakshina Chitra has been allotted as a vocational trainer to increase the activities.
• Working on getting a ration card for the re-integrated residents in the community.
• Working on to get the Disability allowance for the re-integrated women
• Grievances cell held on 14th January.
• Human Right cell was held on 30th January on this month.
• Clothes were donated to the residents.
• New volunteer Bernadette has begun assisting the PC in Kovalam.

• Home visits to be conducted for the women of the project who wish to go home.
• Employment opportunities have to be increased for current and reintegrated residents.
• To focus on the residents who are going to be shifted to the community.
• To set up a tea shop with the women of PC and help them run a business in Kovalam.
• To increase the gardening activities in day care centre.
• To liven up the Day care center with full participation of volunteers Aditi and Bernadette.
• Plan for a large picnic with all the women.

1. Research at BALM is currently ongoing in 4 research studies:

a) The impact of the Disability Allowance of The Banyan on ‘re-integrated clients’ and their families in and around Chennai.

b) Interlinkages between mental health and employment: A case study of socio-economically disadvantaged outpatient clients of The Banyan.

c) ‘Self-help groups as alternative Models of Rehabilitation of homeless women with Mental Health Issues – a case study of SHGs formed by the Banyan.’

d) Continued work has been done on the ‘Study of rehabilitated ex-residents of The Banyan in South India’.

2. National Consultation on National Mental Health Programme: BALM along with The Banyan participated at the National Consultation on National Mental Health Programme convened by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, GOI, on January 22, ’10 at New Delhi.

It was a high level meeting with leading academicians, mental health experts, practitioners, Govt officials and a few civil society organisations from across the country.

The Agenda included:

i) Opening remarks by the Secretary, Health & Family Welfare.

ii) Implementation of the Mental Health Act, 1987

iii) Central Mental Health Authority /State Mental Health Authority

iv) Manpower

v) District Mental Health Programme (DMHP)

vi) Roles of NGOs /Voluntary organizations

Minutes: From its field level experience in all aspects of mental health, The Banyan and BALM provided inputs and shared their experiences on ground level realities in delivery of mental health services. They enabled the consultative group to focus on issues pertaining to:

i) ‘homelessness,’ in the implementation of the Mental Health Act, about the process of admission and exit from institutions.

ii) ‘institutional care and violation of human rights in mental health institutions and the deplorable conditions of patients therein.

iii) lack of manpower and to include more social scientists, social workers in mental health service delivery.

The Banyan and BALM will be involved in the review of the Mental Health Act lead by the Institute of Law, Pune.

3. Shelter Home for homeless women in Delhi: BALM participated at a meeting on January 29th on initiating a shelter home for homeless women in Delhi. The meeting was convened by ‘Jagori,’ a leading women’s organisation working towards inclusive participation and people’s empowerment for respect of rights of all people including women.

The agenda of the meeting was to discuss:

i) the transit care home for homeless women in Delhi, place, no of women etc, staff

ii) overall activities to be executed and organizations executing the activities

iii) lead organization

iv) funding / roll out plan etc

Minutes:

i) The proposed ‘transit care centre,’ would house around 50 -100 women and provide holistic and integrated services of counselling, health interventions, educational opportunities, livelihood training and options and rehabilitation.

ii) YWCA came forward to offer the place from where the Transit Home would be run. This was good as they have a well established infra structure and staff and have also been involved in running several skill development programmes for women

iii) It was proposed that ‘shaktishalini’ would be the lead NGO in coordination and running this Transit care home as they have experience in working in similar areas

iv) BALM would provide mental health interventions

v) Several other organizations like ‘aman biradari,’ ‘jagori,’ and ‘shakti shalini,’ would provide their expertise in their areas of work.

The next meeting has been scheduled for Feb 26th at YWCA from 2:00–5:00 pm and BALM will be participating.

4) Volunteers at The Banyan & BALM in January 2010 were:

Aditi continues her work at the CMHP and is conducting weekly workshops with women in Kovalam to work with their life stories as narratives.

Bernadett from Italy has come to The Banyan as part of a two-month learning experience programme of her school. She started her work with assisting the team in setting up the new café.

BALM is thankful to the volunteers for their time and expertise to The Banyan and BALM.