Outreach
Our Outreach Unit came to life in March 2016. It arose from an understanding that, in order to truly become a “community mental health service”, our therapeutic endeavours had to go beyond the therapy room, to be adapted to and shaped by various institutions, work places, collectives, teams, communities and so on. We do not promise to cure anyone’s distress – because mental health care does not come in one size that fits all. Instead, we hope to create and sustain safe and empathetic spaces – spaces where people feel free to express themselves, reflect, and engage in dialogue with each other.
Over the past 9 years, we have collaborated with various organisations through different mediums – individual counselling sessions, support groups, workshops etc – in an effort to help people explore their relationships with each other, and ultimately encourage a culture where work becomes more meaningful. We are yet to determine whether “work-life balance” is just a myth; but we do know that having mental health friendly spaces at work can provide the necessary support needed in order to keep up in today’s economy.
What We Offer for Organisations & Communities
Assessment Needs
LLEs enable individuals to learn how any organisation or psychosocial environment can be made more compassionate and enabling, use relationships meaningfully at work, and be confident in using one’s own and others’ emotional reactions and responses as valid parts of workplace relationships.
We try to begin with a series of interactions – through conversations, group sessions, questionnaires etc – in order to acknowledge and identify the needs of the employees at workplaces. This helps us formulate our understanding of the varied sources of distress, current perspectives on mental health, as well as the organisation’s expectations from us as a mental health care provider.
Individual Counselling
Counselling is a collaborative journey where one can talk, express, share day to day concerns, explore patterns, and reflect on their emotional and psychological difficulties with a professional in a therapeutic space. The number of sessions may vary depending on individual needs.
Therapeutic Groups
These groups act as shared spaces for individuals to explore their thoughts, feelings, and actions in relation to one another. The hope is that the group becomes a source of support during good times and bad. These spaces could take the form of support groups, theme based groups, therapy groups, or engagement groups using creative modalities (art, poetry, psychodrama, theatre, cooking etc.).
Experiential Workshops
We curate experiential spaces for people to come and discuss relevant mental health related topics in a safe and reflective manner. We explore topics like empathy, self-exploration, interpersonal relationships, work-life balance, self-care, conflict management, assertive communication, managing change and transitions etc.
Crisis Management
This service is available to an organisation that requires immediate psychological help during a crisis. A crisis situation may involve (but is not limited to) the death of a team member, suicide attempts, self-harm, panic attacks etc. The aim is to provide psychological relief through support calls and/or face-to-face visits, facilitate quick decision making, and support the HR team in designing and implementing crisis management plans.
People sitting on a green lawn
Our Pro-Bono Outreach Projects
Swakshatra
Bangalore
Therapeutic Community for Rescued Adolescent Girls
Impact
Transform shelter into self-sustaining therapeutic community.
The Reality
16 adolescent girls + 4 young women rescued from abuse & violent situations are housed in a residential shelter in Bangalore. Staff battle secondary trauma daily; high attrition rates stem from inadequate resources & containment. Hospitalizations were routine until HNI began working with Swakshatra. The need for post-trauma care and quality psychiatric & psychosocial care continues, with residents seeking to become self-managed.
What We Do
Weekly play/counselling/talking groups; staff sensitivity training and up skilling; community-building; assessment protocols for girls needing further psychiatric care.
AAGAAZ
Theatre Trust
Delhi
Community Mental Health Through Applied Theatre
Impact
8 actors skilled as mental health facilitators; community dialogues; independent by 2029.
The Reality
11-member repertory from Hazrat Nizamuddin Basti – artists engaging in social action through theatre - navigating power, boundaries, depression; basti youth and adults experiencing care gap in mental health.
What We Do
Monthly workshops on socio-political mental health + yearlong individual therapy + supervision
New Learning Centre (NLC)
Raipur
Adolescent Mental Health Ecosystem
Impact
20+ students resilient; teacher support network; local MHP ecosystem
The Reality
Marginalised adolescents in Raipur's industrial belt face systemic exclusion; family stress; dropout pressure; limited mental health access. NLC provides critical out-of-school learning + advocacy.
What We Do
Individual counselling + teacher/staff support + in-person community visits