Mental Health Rehabilitation Helpline ‘KIRAN’ 24×7 Toll-Free (1800-599-0019) Launched.

On Monday Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Dr.Thaawarchand Gehlot launched Mental Health Rehabilitation Helpline ‘KIRAN’ 24×7 Toll-Free (1800-599-0019) for providing psychological support to people in the presence of Mrs Shakuntala D. Gamlin, Secretary, DEPwD and Dr. Prabodh Seth Joint Secretary, DEPwD.

The helpline will offer mental health rehabilitation services with the objective of early screening, first-aid, psychological support, distress management and mental wellbeing, promoting positive behaviours, psychological crisis management etc.

It aims at serving people experiencing stress, anxiety, depression, panic attacks, adjustment disorders, post-traumatic stress disorders, substance abuse, suicidal thoughts, pandemic induced psychological issues & mental health emergencies.

The helpline will function as a lifeline to provide 1st stage advice, counselling and reference in 13 languages (English, Hindi, Punjabi, Odiya, Gujarati, Marathi, Kannada, Malayalam, Tamil, Bengali, Telugu,, Assamese and Urdu) 24×7 to individuals, families, NGOs, Parent Associations, Professional Associations, Rehabilitation Institutes, Hospitals or anyone in need of support across the country

The helpline service will have three-level mechanism of support — (i) the caller will first be connected to the location-based helpline centres which are NIs/CRCs/RCs/ of the Department. At the second level the helpline will be backed by rehabilitation/clinical psychologists/660 clinical/rehabilitation psychologists and 668 psychiatrists who have volunteered to offer their services and at the third level (iii) follow-up and support will be extended.

The helpline is being coordinated by the National Institute for the Empowerment of Persons with Multiple Disabilities (NIEPMD), Chennai and National Institute of Mental Health Rehabilitation (NIMHR), Sehore, which started functioning from a rented accommodation from last September. Professional support for the helpline is being provided by the Indian Association of Clinical Psychologists (IACP), Indian Psychiatrists Association (IPA) and Indian Psychiatric Social Workers Association (IPSWA).

This is commendable initiative by Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment-

Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (Divyangjan), in view of the growing incidence of Mental Illness, particularly in the wake of COVID-19 Pandemic.