2nd Phase Of The SAMVAD Programme:
The Ministry of Women and Child Development has launched the 2nd phase of the SAMVAD programme. The second phase was launched on the completion of one year of programme.
- The programme is aimed at mental health outreach for children who are abandoned and orphaned, child survivors of trafficking, or in conflict with law.
- Earlier, the government had announced a special “PM-CARES for Children” scheme for all those orphaned due to Covid-19.
- Stands for: Support, Advocacy & Mental health interventions for children in Vulnerable circumstances and Distress (SAMVAD).
- Funded By: The initiative is funded by the Ministry of Women and Child Development.
- Implementing Body: It is led by the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS).
- The NIMHANS is the apex centre of mental health and neuroscience education. It operates autonomously under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
- Recently, on the request of the Ministry of Home Affairs, NIMHANS, issued a set of guidelines on the management of mental health issues of the prisoners and prison staff.
- Purpose: It is a national initiative and integrated resource that works in child protection, mental health and psychosocial care of children in difficult circumstances.
- It encompasses a specialized training curriculum on childhood trauma, interventions for children in conflict with the law, forensics in child and adolescent psychiatry and mental health.
- Education and mental health support to children with special needs, protection and care in the context of adoption.
- The initiative is providing coping mechanisms for children in distress by training close to 1 lakh stakeholders comprising Child Protection Functionaries, tele-counsellors, educators, law professionals among others.
- Integration with Local Bodies: The initiative aims to foster care and integration of child protection and mental health in the Panchayati Raj systems in aspirational districts across the country to facilitate awareness generation and improve service delivery at the grassroot level.
