Mental Health Initiative
Quick fade in-fade out of scenes from the life of mentally ill- poignant visuals –blank looking person- life on the street- abandoned person- the person on a bed being cared for – hobbling with help- trying to communicate -etc-etc
VO1– For —- lakh odd people in India ( get the app. figure) life is far from a bed of roses- in fact, it is living breathing nightmare. These are the mentally ill, who without access to appropriate care and rehabilitation usually find themselves abused, abandoned, and left to perish in a world full of stigma and misconceptions about mental health.
Quick cuts of various activities of the Banyan- rescue teams- picking up (not picking but rescuing from street life where they are exposed to several risks and threats) people from the street- transit care and rehab shots- dial 100 line – vocational training.
VO2 –This is where organizations like the Banyan in Chennai act as catalysts for change battling centuries-old misconceptions, myths, poor access and availability of treatment and bring about not only attitudinal change but provide treatment to those with poor mental health (avoid mental illness) in an environment which is compassionate, empathetic and healing.
This is the Community Mental Health Centre for the care and rehabilitation for the mentally ill at Kovalam in Chennai. It was founded by the Banyan in 1993, in response to the needs of mentally ill women. It provides them with proper institutional care, and subsequently community care.
VO3– The vulnerability of a person with an MI or mental illness is apparent sharply at places like the Dargah where often ill-informed (avoid this term, we assume that people seek help from where they think help is available, the dargah, therefore, might have its own relevance) people bring patients for divine intervention and relief. Some of these patients are persuaded by team members of the Community Mental Health Project or CMHP to avail treatment at the Kovalam centre. This kind of rescue (avoid this term) strategy highlights the need for partnerships between traditional beliefs and modern methods, admixing the benefits which each can give to those with mental ill-health and their family members seemingly antagonistic forces to be able to manipulate their stronghold (avoid highlighted in yellow) towards enabling people with MI to get access to proper treatment.
Porkodi, CMHP, Kovalam: On how Dargah serves as an important location for identifying mentally ill patients by Banyan. Example of Muthulakshmi. Found in a violent state at the Dargah, motivated by Jeeva Bharti to come to Banyan for treatment.
VO4-Community based projects have to comprehensively merge tradition, culture, belief and modern therapy in order to benefit the patient. Here Gajalakshmi, a community worker makes a Home visit to Zeenat’, a chronic schizophrenic, to monitor her condition and interact with her parents. (This is an excellent point)
Shots of Mic announcements from auto-rickshaws (daytime) for street theatre by Banyan in Kovalam.
VO5 -Interactive community tool like Street theatre help to educate people about MI and dispel popular myths
Those who suffered mental ill-health at some point recover if supported; Anuradha is a winner;
VO6– Anuradha’s is a winner story – she has successfully battled schizophrenia to emerge a successful entrepreneur from the CMHP daycare centre. She was trained to develop skills which have not only made her independent and earn a livelihood; but perhaps most of all instilled self-worth amongst those with mental ill-health- that they are valuable and can stand on their own
Bite of Anuradha-
The aim always remains that post-treatment people could return to their families; However, unfortunately, there are some who do not have a family to return to.
VO7 -This Long Stay Home is meant for a select few residents that either has completely forgotten about their past or have been refused to be accepted back by their families even after treatment.
It is full of stories like Priyavadane, who was abandoned by her family 14 years ago and ostracized by the whole community. Now well but homeless, she works as a cook in the long-stay home.
Bite of Priyavadane – Desires to meet her 2 sons who now work in a software firm in Chennai.
VO8-Since Chennai is the last stop for many southbound trains there are many residents from various different states who have been rescued from the Chennai railway station or streets in Chennai.
VO9 –Patients are usually first given institutional care which is provided at Adaikalam – a Transit Care facility which is divided into 4 dormitories, depending on the severity of the person’s illness. The residents as they are called at the Banyan, are transferred from one dorm to another as their condition improves.
There is an emphasis on bondage- free, positive and individualized approach to the treatment, which is divided into -Medical & Psychiatric, primary care including hygiene and legal procedures, psychological therapy, occupational therapy, and Vocational Training.
Vaneeta /Madhu bite: Rehabilitation is a 2-way approach: If the resident is likely to get back to the family then she is trained in household chores like cooking, washing, cleaning etc. If not accepted by the family, then provided training in self-employment skills like beautician, stitching, etc.
VO10 -Do homeless people lose their mental balance due to the stress of being rootless or are mentally ill people cast out of their homes due to the cold-hearted apathy of families unwilling to extend themselves any more than the minimum? This is an area of social conflict that requires both institutional and community-based intervention by trained and sensitized personnel. In some cases lack of treatment facilities back home and poverty in the family makes anyone dysfunctional at the mercy of themselves and the sacrifice is made in favour of others, many of these abandonments could be an example of such conditions.
Bite- Banyan Tree staffer –-Poornima to talk about the process of reintegration of residents with their families. How rail trips are planned, coordination with local NGOs of the area, challenges faced monitoring after reintegration etc.
VO11 -In recognition of the organizations’ efforts to effectively rehabilitate its inmates and extend its outreach programme, Banyan received an extension to the 4 year Project supported by the Trust since 2000. In this new phase spread over 2005-2008, the Banyan is moving towards more comprehensive programmes including key innovations in the field, extending its outreach and deepening its programme through research. ( you can use visuals of success stories, a group photo of smiling residents etc here)
VO12— The crying need for facilities for the rehabilitation of homeless mentally ill people in the formal sector is apparent in Mysore as well, where Karuna Trust established in 1986 to combat leprosy, has diversified into epilepsy, mental health and tuberculosis, besides taking up the management of 25 Primary Health Centres (PHCs) in partnership with the govt.
VO13– This mental health clinic at Gumball, 70 km south of Mysore runs 5 times a month and gets an average of 100-150 patients, seeking psychiatric help and free medicines.
The Transit Care Facility at Chikkalli is a shining example of inmates being facilitated to do productive work.
Ms Rukmani, Staff nurse / Ms Manisha, Resident social worker: One of them can speak about their nature of work at the transit care facility.
Shots of the psychiatric clinic at NPK, Mysore (every Sunday morning).
VO14-This is the Beggar’s Home in Bangalore run by the Social welfare department of the state government. At the PHC here, the Karuna Trust. has trained the government doctors in Mental health and sensitized medical staff, enabling early identification and treatment of the mentally ill among the inmates.
Dr Kiran Kumar, Mysore /: “Treating destitute people at Chikkalli or NPK is very different than patients living in urban areas or with their families. Since the inmates are from all parts of the country there are language issues, there’s no relative to explain the patient’s past history, cultural issues. Very challenging work to look after destitute and homeless, especially for the resident health workers. Staff burn out is very common in this field, but Chikkalli staff gives passionate care.”
VO15-. A three-year grant to Karuna Trust, starting November 2006 aims to provide care, support and rehabilitation for such people in Mysore and establish a Transit Care Centre and Helpline for early identification and intervention.
Visual break at Ashadeep, Guwahati
VO16– Similar efforts have been recognized in the North East where the only mental health institute in the entire region is a 318-bed facility in Tezpur, catering to a population of an astonishing 2.5 cr. There are merely 57 qualified psychiatrists in 27 districts of Assam.
VO17– Ashadeep, in Guwahati was registered in 1996 to cater to the various needs of mentally challenged persons. According to its founder Mr Goswami, In the NE the family bonding is very strong but the real problem is access to healthcare. During the three year project period it plans to provide initial care and treatment to about 350 women and integrate about 65% of them with their families;
Dr Thakuria, Psychiatrist: – Ashadeep enters a remote area with no psychiatric facilities with monthly MH camps…then to tie up and empower a local civil society organization in mental health issues – identification of symptoms, persuading locals to send people with symptoms to the clinics, monitoring of medicines etc. After the capacity building of the local organization, Ashadeep withdraws its monthly camps from the area, while keeping constant touch with local NGO. ( use supers +to reinforce the name of NGO eg- Satra, Distr etc)
VO18-A concerted effort is made to provide a ‘homely environment’. This includes a healthy mix of recreational, therapeutic and vocational activities
Resident health worker, Navchetna Transit care: “When rescued, usually residents are in a very shabby, unhygienic condition. So the first step is to clean them, look for sores, dog bites, fire burn injuries etc. We immediately call both the general physician and psychiatrist for a thorough medical check-up. Simultaneously the police are also informed about the rescued women. Most rescued women even lose a sense of basic toilet habits and eating habits. So the next step is to get them to a proper daily cycle. Basic vocational activities like jute breading etc. are initiated just to increase their concentration levels.”
VO19-Narmada was rescued from the streets and treated at Navchetna Transit care and Rehab facilities. However, she could not be re-integrated with her family without some livelihood interventions. After training her to weave cloth, Ashadeep buys back the cloth from her giving her an income.
Bite of Normoda: I don’t sleep through the day now – I have a purpose.
VO20-About 7,000 mentally ill persons are estimated to receive care and treatment through the outreach programmes that have been planned by Ashadeep, literally the light of hope –
VO20– A hope that has been successfully keeping afloat under the ‘Specialised Healthcare of the Trust’s Health portfolio. Capacity building of organisations such as Ashadeep, Banyan Tree and Karuna Trust enables them to successfully combat an illness that is estimated to afflict 5 per cent of the country’s population. Across the initiative, the Trust focuses on de-institutionalization and rehabilitation of the mentally ill, support to caregivers, vocational training, advocacy and research and documentation.
Bite – Trust representative
VO21-With about 25 per cent of the mentally ill being rendered homeless and the total lack of any comprehensive facilities in the formal sector, Halfway homes and long-stay centres, community and institution-based care as well as sensitization of society are merely the first concrete steps that need to be followed: steps that reinforce that at the end of a long, bleak tunnel, there is a light.