Awareness
Awareness and advocacy have been part of our approach to community mental health and are reflected in our series of community engagement events. There are several ongoing conversations about mental health, ‘illness’, ‘treatment’, madness and its genesis – Our community engagement programs are spaces where we encourage a dialogue across different points of view. These sessions have, over time, become a space for many people to think about the ways in which they relate to themselves, others and society, at large.
Everyone has a story to tell
These conversations have helped us think about the community’s needs and their expectations of mental health professionals, always keeping in mind that we have interacted with a small segment of a larger social, political, cultural body.
Chai-logue
Began as an initiative to encourage people to consider mental health as a continuum rather than something that switches between ‘health’ and ‘pathology’. Everyone is welcome to voice their opinions and feelings and share their experiences in this setting that is much like the cup of chai we offer – Warm, unconditional and free. While the discussion is facilitated by us, we don’t presume to be experts or guides. At Chai-logue, everyone is learning.
Read
Absorb
Think!
ReadAbsorbThink! was first started in May 2014 as an open study group and was popularly known as RAT! – Psychology’s best friend. The idea then was to take students on a jounery in understanding psychology beyond the four walls of classroom. Five years later, ReadAbsorbThink! is being revived in the form of monthly academic lectures for all those interested in the field of mental health – be it service users, psychologists, psychiatrists, psychotherapists, counsellors, social workers, psychiatric nurses, caregivers, or anyone from the larger community.
Potluck Poetry
Potluck Poetry is a community for poetry enthusiasts which began in November 2021. It is a platform where participants come together to share and listen to poems surrounding a particular theme. The space was created in an attempt to facilitate open dialogue about mental health with the help of poetry. The vast world of imagery and metaphors in poetry has been a great way for community members to explore their own thoughts and feelings surrounding each theme and of course, to discover beautiful poetry along the way!