ITANAGAR, 28 Apr: Two teams from Bangalore (Karnataka)-based National Institute of Mental Health & Neurosciences’ support, advocacy & mental health interventions for children in vulnerable circumstances and distress (SAMVAD) initiative, were on a five-day visit to the state for conducting rapid assessment of child protection and mental health issues in the state, in collaboration with the state’s women & child development (WCD) department, from 24-28 April.
Team A covered the eastern zone and carried out assessment in Namsai and Lower Dibang Valley districts, and Team B covered Papum Pare and Lower Subansiri districts in the western zone.
The SAMVAD teams interacted with the stakeholders of child protection and mental health in the state, such as the HoDs of the WCD department, the justice department, the social justice, empowerment & tribal affairs department, the health department, the labour department, and the panchayati raj department.
They also called on the chairperson and members of the Arunachal Pradesh State Commission for
Protection of Child Rights and all the district, block and village level functionaries related to child protection and mental health, like the members of the Juvenile Justice Boards and Child Welfare Committees, besides deputy commissioners, district child protection units, childcare institutions, one-stop centres, PHCs, anganwadi centres, schools, panchayat leaders, gaon buras, etc.
The assessment report will be submitted to the state’s WCD department, and it will be utilised for developing a training programme for the functionaries of child protection and mental health issues in the state by the SAMVAD. The assessment programme will also help the state government in formulating programmes and policies for child protection and mental health intervention for children in vulnerable circumstances and distress.
