Heartfulness Institute in association with Ripples of Change Foundation, a social impact organization, and Kateel Ashok Pai Memorial Institute (KAPMI) – an entity of Manasa Hospital in Shimoga, is pleased to announce a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) aimed at advancing mental health awareness and support in communities. The MoU was signed at Manasa Hospital, Shimoga on Wednesday by the three institutions.
As part of their commitment to promoting mental health, ROCF and HFI have been running the “Voice that Cares” program in collaboration with Heartfulness, a free helpline available 7 days a week focused on providing psychosocial first aid (PSFA) support for individuals through trained volunteers (https://www.rocf.org/voice-that-cares/ ).
As part of the MOU, KAPMI will enable ROCF and HFI to strengthen the VTC program with volunteering, mentoring and counselling support. ROCF and HFI will serve as implementation partners for the program, managing the operations of the helpline, including volunteer onboarding, training, review and monitoring, data management, and platform technical services. They will also liaise with KAPMI representatives and other stakeholders, identify training needs, develop program strategies, and recruit additional human resources as required. KAPMI will provide essential mental health-related inputs, develop training materials, evaluate the impact and quality of calls, offer psychiatric support when necessary and help undertake mental health research. The volunteers from the PG Diploma and M.Sc. Psychology courses will provide assistance in supporting the VTC helpline.
Speaking on MoU, Rev. Daaji – Spiritual Guide of Heartfulness, President of Shri Ram Chandra Mission and Padma Bhushan Awardee said, “Taking care of mental health is of paramount importance before reaching the spiritual depths. To tackle early stages of mental chaos is easy through meditation, but when mental health goes on a downward spiral, professional intervention becomes mandatory. At the same time, we need to get rid of the taboo or negativities that surround seeking professional help for mental wellbeing. It’s always good to encourage seeking help in time. I am very glad that ROCF, KAPMI and Heartfulness have come together on this noble task of promoting mental health awareness and providing the necessary support.”
This collaboration aims to create a robust support system for individuals in need of mental health assistance, ensuring that they receive appropriate guidance, counseling, and referrals for further treatment. By leveraging the expertise and resources of all three organizations, the “Voice that Cares” helpline will be able to make a significant impact in promoting mental well-being and fostering a mentally resilient community.
The MOU between ROCF, HFI, and KAPMI signifies a shared commitment to advancing mental health support, raising awareness, and reducing the stigma surrounding mental health issues. This partnership embodies the collective determination to make a positive change in the lives of individuals and communities.
Established in 2021, VTC is a free psychosocial first aid helpline that operates in English, Hindi and Telugu and has reached over 10,000 unique beneficiaries across 28 states of India. Over 56,000 calls have been received so far for PSFA with 15% calls escalated for level 2 counseling as well. VTC has trained more than 700 volunteers, who are currently engaged in providing counselling services to the callers between 9 am to 9 pm in all days of the week. Counselling programmes for various corporates are also available through the collaboration.