Tele-MANAS:
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) and the Ministry of Defence (MoD) to facilitate collaboration between the two ministries in operating a special cell of Tele MANAS.
- The Tele Mental Health Assistance and Networking Across States (Tele-MANAS) initiative was launched by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in October 2022.
- It aims to provide free tele-mental health services all over the country round the clock, particularly to people in remote or underserved areas.
- Tele-MANAS will be organised in a two-tier system:
- Tier 1 comprises state Tele-MANAS cells, which include trained counsellors and mental health specialists.
- Tier 2 will comprise specialists at the District Mental Health Programme (DMHP)/Medical College resources for physical consultation and/or e-Sanjeevani for audio-visual consultation.
- Currently, there are 51 operational Tele-MANAS cells functioning across all 36 States and UTs, offering services in 20 different languages.
- A toll-free, 24/7 helpline number (14416) is available as part of the initiative, allowing callers to select the language of choice for availing services.
- The service is also accessible at 1-800-891-4416.
- This call will be an Interactive Voice Response system (IVRS) based audio call only, with a timely auto-call back approach.
- Through the automated callback service, the caller will first be attended to by a trained counsellor.
- Based on the level of care required, the counsellor will either provide the care needed within their capabilities or refer the caller for specialist care.
- If the caller requires specialized care, the call will be handled by a mental health specialist (clinical psychologist, psychiatric social worker, psychiatric nurse, or psychiatrist). This level of service will contain both audio- and video-based options.
- In case the caller requires urgent in-person intervention/complex evaluations and management, they will be referred to the nearest in-person service for a physical consultation, and/or an audio-visual consultation with a specialist will be arranged through eSanjeevani.
- These centers will range from Health and Wellness Centre (HWCs) to tertiary care centers as part of the DMHP.
