Introduction
Comfortable, Residential Rehabilitation Facilities for those suffering from chronic Mental Illness. Chaitanya, started in Pune, 1999; as a Charitable Trust registered under Bombay Public Trust Act 1950, to offer comprehensive treatment and community based Psychosocial Rehabilitation for those suffering from chronic Mental Disorders. Mr. Rony George and his wife Mrs. Sushupti Rony, two professional Psychiatric Social Workers, the real visionaries, initiated and gave life to Chaitanya, they continue to nurture this Organization with its glorious services for those in need. CMHCC is led by a dedicated Board of Trustees as well as a Professional Advisory Board, made up of eminent and experienced Psychiatrists and Social Workers/Activists. Today, Chaitanya has emerged as one of the leading Psychosocial Rehabilitation Centers in the country, having branches in Maharashtra, Goa and Kerala, providing Residential Care Treatment and facilities for more than 450 residents.
In reality, Mental Illness accounts for five out of ten leading causes of distress and disability in Asia . Although there are various forms of Mental Disorders, Schizophrenia which is characterized by abnormalities in the perception or expression of reality has 1 % of the general population affected by it. Substance Abuse is another major cause of suffering in this world and those with Dual Diagnosis are in an even more personified dilemma. Psychological Evaluation, Diagnosis and Acute Care Treatment needs to be followed up with Rehabilitation for a better Success Rate. This gives the patient space to restructure their lives and to gain more insight into their illness, besides giving temporary respite to the Caregiver.
The past few decades have witnessed a change in Awareness, Understanding, Treatment and the Care of the mentally ill in India . During this period, community based Psychosocial Rehabilitation has emerged as a specialized field, which aims at enhancing the functional competence of the mentally ill, by facilitating the acquisition of Social and Vocational Skills through training. However, this concept was totally an alien subject to the Western Region of India. The idea of starting a community based Psychosocial Rehabilitation Centre was first acknowledged when it was observed that, so many people from western India were seeking admissions in various other places like Bangalore and Calcutta . Many could not gain access due to problems like not having a local guardian and those that got admission were finding the distance difficult to overcome, language and cultural differences apparent and eating habits very different.
Currently, Chaitanya provides Residential Care facilities for about 450 inpatients through three of its facilities in Pune and one each in Goa and Kerala. Our Bio-Psycho-Socio Rehabilitation programme reaches out to those afflicted with Substance Dependence and Dementia also. Chaitanya has a staff team of more than 100 that includes, Trained Mental Health Professionals like Psychiatric Social Workers, Psychiatrists, General Physicians, Psychologists, Occupational Therapists and trained Psychiatric Nurses.
|
