About Manasa

Karuna Trust, formed in 1986, is a public charitable trust, affiliated to the Vivekananda Girijana Kalyana Kendra, located in BR Hills. Its initial focus was on eliminating leprosy from Yelandoor Taluk. Later the Trust diversified into primary healthcare and other national health programes – Tuberculosis, Reproductive and Child Health, Blindness control etc. Presently Karuna Trust is running 98 Primary Health Centres in Karnataka and Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Orissa and Andhra Pradesh etc., in partnership with respective state governments.

Karuna Trust started focusing on Mental Health issues after the initiation of a primary level Epilepsy control program at Gumballi PHC in 1991. Health workers are taught to detect mental illness in the community and treatment is provided at PHCs.

The problem of homeless mentally ill population is the product of social neglect and the lack of support from Government agencies. Manasa strives to establish a comprehensive model for care, support and rehabilitation of the homeless mentally ill population of Mysore. The institution also works towards raising public awareness and changing overall attitude towards homeless mentally ill individuals.

The pathetic state of homeless people especially the wandering mentally ill, is agonising. This is coupled with the apathy of the state towards this issue with the result of total neglect of these people and their rights. Manasa is a response to this felt need and seeks to provide a system to address the physical, mental and emotional needs of these people.

Objectives

  • Establishment of care and support for homeless mentally ill in Mysore with facilities for rehabilitation.
  • To enhance public awareness and gather support for the care of mentally ill destitute.
  • Centre for Rehabilitation of Homeless in Mysore and Bangalore NPK in collaboration with Social Welfare Department, Govt. of Karnataka.
  • Integration of basic mental health care with general health services in 27 PHCs in Karnataka.
  • Advocacy for policy on mental health and homelessness.

Activities

Transit Care Centre

The Transit Care Facility is located at C.A. Site No. 4, Lalithadripura Road, K.C.Layout, Opp. Lalitha Mahal, Palace Hotel, Mysore – 570 011. The Centre serves as a short stay home with a capacity of 50 women. It will be extended to accommodate more people in coming years. The centre provides the following services :

  • Medical and psychiatric care & follow up.
  • Occupational Therapy
  • Psychotherapy
  • Legal aid and counselling
  • Facilitation for the rehabilitation with the family members.

As on February 2013, we have admitted 259 homeless mentally ill women and rehabilitated 211 mentally stable individuals with their respective families in different parts of the country.

Centre for Rehabilitation of Homeless
(in collaboration with Dept. of Social Welfare, Government of Karnataka)

Centre for Rehabilitation of Homeless (Nirashrithara Parihara Kendra – NPK) is run by the Social Welfare Dept. at Mysore. The following activities at NPK Mysore.

  • Psychiatric care
  • Social worker for co-ordination at activities
  • Capacity building of staff members of NPK.
  • Facilitation for the rehabilitation with the family members.

Helpline for Homeless

The helpline is established with the aim of giving support to home-less wandering people at Mysore in getting proper health care and treatment. Once the call is received, our helpline team reaches the spot and assess the person. If the person is a woman and mentally ill she will be taken to Transit Care centre. Others will be taken to appropriate institutions for care and treatment or to their family.

Community Mental Health Care at 27 PHCs

  • Providing training for medical officers of PHCs on mental health care.
  • Capacity building of the health workers on mental health care – identification, treatment and follow-up, rehabilitation and counselling.
  • Networking with the Transit Care Centre for rehabilitation of homeless in various districts.