The NALAM Study: Promoting Wellness Through Mental Health and Social Entitlements Facilitation by Village Mental Health Workers

A multi-dimensional package of interventions, combining social and clinical care, will be delivered through village mental health workers in Thiruporur Block, Kancheepuram district, Tamil Nadu.  The workers will offer counselling in settings appropriate to circumstances, help mental health patients find income-generating activities and access disability allowances and other social entitlements, and initiate activities in response to specific community needs (e.g. provide counselling services from home, start a daycare centre). Using this approach, the project hopes to meaningfully impact service access and reduce the number of untreated mental disorders.