We collaborate with NIMHANS to train and orient our teachers and caregivers in child and adolescent mental health practices. Our residential bridge course centers often house children who come from neglected and abused backgrounds. Some of them have been rescued from traumatic situations and brought to these centers. These children are fearful, have behavioral issues, are sometimes suicidal, and are looking for opportunities to run away from the centres. They require care, therapy, and counseling before they can be brought into the process of learning.
NIMHANS designed a training curriculum for our teachers and conducted interactive live virtual sessions on psychosocial and mental health assistance to children in difficult circumstances. The institute has provided 84 hours of training to 105 staff. The key issues covered in the training are 5 key domains of child development; understanding childhood and a child’s context;emotions, inner voice, and behaviour through case studies and exercises; communication skills; listening skills; depression, self-harm, and suicide; how to recognize anxiety;judgmental vs non-judgmental statements; and intervention using various activities.
The participants practice counseling and communication skills with children; identify emotional, behavioral, and learning problems in children through screening and assessment; understand the signs, symptoms, and management of child and adolescent mental health disorders; develop first-level response to assist children with mild-to-moderate mental health problems,; and address special concerns such as sexuality, abuse, and bullying. The training also touches upon helping Aspire teachers and caregivers manage workplace stress and burn-out.
