Mental Health Service Provision and Enabling Agency Among Clients, Caregivers: The Case of Rural Mental Health Programme of The Banyan

Abstract

The Banyan was founded in 1993 in Chennai to provide comprehensive care to homeless women with mental illness. After the Tsunami in 2004, The Banyan responded to the needs of distressed villagers of Kovalam with relief and rehabilitation work, which resulted in something more concrete—a community mental health programme. The Rural Mental Health Programme has witnessed the formation of formal and informal coalitions with different stakeholders in the community like the Dargah, local self-government institutions (panchayat) self-help group members, government staff of anti-poverty programmes and health system and clients and caregivers themselves. The staff of The Banyan along with client–caregiver support have entered the space of advocacy for health and social entitlements.