Rehabilitation of Mentally iII

Patients suffering from mental illness require rehabilitation. The psychiatric rehabilitation helps mentally disabled persons to develop emotional, social and intellectual skills required to live, learn and work in the community with the limited amount of support from others.

Psychiatric rehabilitation work in The Pelican Centre is undertaken by rehabilitation counsellors who are educated in psychiatric rehabilitation and licensed professional counsellors who work in the mental health field. These counsellors try to effect changes in a person's environment and in a person's ability to deal with his/her environment, so as to facilitate improvement in symptoms or personal distress and life outcomes. These services combine pharmacologic treatment, independent living and social skills training, psychological support to the inmates and their families, housing, vocational rehabilitation and employment, social support and network enhancement and access to leisure activities.

This facility was inaugurated on 17-July-2004 by the highly respected religious leader and social worker, Rev. Fr. Antony Mannarkulam, Director of Sanjeevani Rehabilitation Centre, Kottayam. Our rehabilitation facility was initially in a rented premises but later we were able to construct our own building where the Centre is currently functioning.

The mentally ill, found wandering in the streets, are brought to the Centre by police personnel, social workers and others. Those who could not be properly cared for at their homes are also brought to the Centre, by their relatives and well-wishers.

At The Pelican Centre, they are treated and looked after, by social workers and trained staff. The Centre has separate wards, for male and female residents. A full-fledged kitchen and the experienced staff take good care of the inmates’ nutrition. Every social festival is a celebration in the Centre where all our well-wishers join with the residents. TV channels, music, indoor and outdoor games, are provided for their entertainment. The inmates are also taken out for outing at least once in a year.

Recovered (symptom free) patients are encouraged to involve in various activities of the centre. These include various vocational training programs, maintenance of the premises and to some extent monitoring of the inmates.