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With
widened horizon we are now gearing ourselves for reaching
out more afflicted families who deserve our compassion and
quality time. Here briefly is the growing spectrum of SAA-Ekalavya's
services:
Self-Help
Support Group Activities
Meetings
for Shubharthis: Many shubharthis have benefitted by
participating in our SHSG weekly meetings, conducted on
the lines of Dr. Abraham Low's Recovery method. This is
a seventy-year old self-help technique based on cognitive
behaviour therapy. Four years' of our consistent efforts
have made Recovery Inc., U.S.A., to enlist on their website
Ekalavya as a recognised Recovery SHSG available in India.
Playground
activity & variety entertainment for Shubharthis:
To help shubharthis reintegrate back into the society, an
experiment was started with the guidance of mental health
professionals and generous gesture of Deccan Gymkhana, one
of Pune's oldest and prestigious physical health & sports
promoter. By doing physical exercises, playing games, doing
yoga & pranayama, they have been able to recoup much
of their alertness and agility, besides socialization. Variety
entertainment programme, titled 'Antarnad', performed and
presented by shubharthis along with volunteers has further
boosted their confidence and creativity. Other programmes
in the pipeline are workshop titled "Friends of SAA"
and Mrs. Dabke and Mrs. Shinai's awareness programme "Mana
Kalol Kalol"
Meetings
for Shubhankars: Discussion on the topics of interest
to caregivers are initiated at the Saturday meetings. Occasionally,
outside experts are also invited to speak to them with a
view to empower them with knowledge and skills.
Training
for Caregivers: Empowering caregivers has been systematically
started by holding training programmes for them in places
like Pune, Nashik etc. In addition, we have also satisfactorily
completed a higher level training for a team of volunteers.
Many of such resource persons will assist SAA in fulfilling
it's mission of spreading mental health care services. Towards
this objective we have planned a three-day residential workshop
for prospective support group leaders from different parts
of Maharashtra.
Creating
Awarness
Publishing:
To spread right information to more families about schizophrenia
and allied mental disorders and their management, a book
in Marathi has been published by us. This book, entitled
"Schizophrenia, Ek Navi Janeev"(Please
click here to post your order), received very
encouraging response from cities like, Mumbai, Pune, Ahmednagar,
Nashik, Nagpur etc. The same book is also available in Hind
language titled "Scizophrenia, Ek Naya Ehsaas".
A reference handbook for GPs, under the title "Divided
Mind" (Please click
here to post your order) has been published in
English, containing articles by experts on various aspects
of schizophrenia and it's management. It is edited by Dr.Ulhas
Luktuke, a leading practicing psychiatrist of Pune. Many
articles were also published in newspapers and magazines
of Mumbai, Nashik, Nagpur, besides Pune, resulting in more
families coming forward for availing of the services of
SAA Ekalavya. Apart from this there are other publications
like translated version of the book "Beautiful Mind"
that are in process of completion.
Sensitising
media persons: None can deny the impact today's media
make on the society. So to sensitise them to mental health
care issues a pilot survey was commissioned by SAA. We plan
to inform them suitably so as to enable them project the
affected persons more objectively and factually through
their work. On the other hand, media support by way of informative
articles has already enabled hundreds of shubharthis and
caregivers from all over Maharashtra to know and avail of
SAAs services.
Daycare cum rehab centre: It is every caregivers dream to
once again make his shubharthi a self-reliant individual.
Therefore towards this objective we are planning for this
facility at Pune on most modern lines.
Awareness
through films: SAA, along with it's senior partner,
K. S. Wani Memorial Trust, Dhule, produced first-ever feature
film, Devrai (Sacred Grove), by a charitable organization
on mental health. This movie, which won 16 regional/national/international
awards in different categories, proved very appealing both
to the professionals and affected families alike. The most
recent one, entitled, Majhi Goshta (My Story), also in Marathi,
is a docu-drama in tele-cinematic format. "Very informative,
realistic and touching" is the response of most of
the viewers. While, Devrai is already available in vcd/dvd
format, Majhi Goshta too will be available later on.
Daycare
cum Vocational Centre: It is every caregiver's dream
to once again make his shubharthi a self-reliant and confident
individual. Therefore towards this objective we have already
started this facility at the Kamala Nehru Hospital very
recently. About ten have registered and are availing of
the services. Meanwhile, SAA will be able to have such activity
in it's own premises at Dhayari, off Sinhagad Road in Pune
in the next few months. The new center will have capacity
to cater to the needs of upto 50 shubharthis.
Reaching
the vulnerable: Our programmes aimed at youth, the most
vulnerable age-group to be affected by Mental Illness, in
schools and colleges have had desired impact. This is evident
from their willing involvement in such seminars and subsequent
voluntary services in SAA-Ekalavya's activities. Timely
and right awareness leads to earlier detection of- symptoms,
prompt medical intervention and quicker relief.
Other
Activities
Growing
beyond borders: SAA-Ekalavya is a founder member of
India's apex body of caregivers, the National Federation
for Mentally Ill (NFMI) with HO at New Delhi and Zonal Office
at Chennai. Our delegates were also invited to speak at
the international convention hosted by WFSAD at Kyoto-Japan
in 2002 and at the Chennai national convention in 2003,
again at the international convention at Chennai in November
2004 and at Recovery Inc.'s Leaders' Training & Annual
Meeting at Chicago in May 2005. Based on referrals by WFSAD
we have also been encouraging caregivers of neighbouring
countries by sharing our experience in SHSG formation. Our
website www.schizophrenia.org.in also has aroused and satisfied
curiosity of netizens.
Strengthening
medi-links: The orientation of General Practitioners,
hosted by SAA, on schizophrenia and its various dimensions
by Pune's psychiatric fraternity, was intended to strengthen
the role of family physician as an important link in the
chain of service providers to affected families. This is
now available in the book form "Divided
Mind".
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