Ottakkalla Oppamundu, a psychosocial support programme to address mental health needs of the people during the COVID-19 pandemic, is being extended to children.
Minister for Women and Child Development K.K. Shylaja said here recently that the programme was being extended to students in view of the upcoming examination results. The programme would be implemented by the Health and Women and Child Development departments together. Mental health support would be extended to children at three levels.
At the field level, Anganwadi and ASHA (Accredited Social Health Activist) workers would identify children with behavioural problems and mental stress at the ward level.
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Phone counselling
A psychosocial team would provide counselling over the phone to the children and their parents.
They will contact students who they think are in need of such support over phone and counsel them. Calls will be made to students before and after declaration of results so that they do not feel stressed by fears of doing badly.
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The programme is being implemented under the State mental health programme.
The phone counselling will be provided under the supervision of psychiatrists, psychiatric social workers, and clinical psychologists.
The National Health Mission’s Disha helpline number 1056 too will be equipped to handle students’ mental health issues.