Skip to main content
  • Accessibility
  • Headlines
  • Coronavirus-News
  • Get-Hooked
  • Technology
  • Education
  • Employment
  • Parasports
  • Ask Bhavna
  • NHBrandView
  • Independent Living
  • Lifestyle
  • NH Videos
×
Newz Hook – Changing Attitudes towards Disability Logo
  • Stories
  • Videos
  • Inclusive
  • NH Voice
  • Login
COVID-19 Notification by Government in Accessible Format

Accessibility Tools

Text Size:

Contrast Scheme:

  • C
  • C

Reset

  • Home
  • Get-hooked
  • Mann & Mariwala Health Initiative partner to create mental health model to support parents of disabled youth

Mann & Mariwala Health Initiative partner to create mental health model to support parents of disabled youth

Counsellor at Mann with 2 disabled adults
Get-hooked April 17, 2020
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)

Since 2011, NGO Mann has been dedicated to enabling people with disabilities to grow and lead an independent, meaningful life. A crucial aspect of their outreach is The Family Intervention Program, funded by the Mariwala Health Initiative which caters to parents of children and youth with disabilities.

Raising a child with a disability can be challenging and parents are often hesitant to talk about it, leave alone seek support. Belmira Rodrigues, parent to a 21-year-old son on the autism spectrum, chose to keep her struggles to herself at first as well.

“We were facing a lot of challenges regarding Bevan‘s behaviour, specifically his anger, stimming etc.”, recalls Belmira. She was finding it hard to cope with his meltdowns and reached out to a counsellor at Mann, a centre for people with disabilities that Bevan goes to. Mann has a caregivers’ support programme dedicated to parents of children with disabilities. Called The Family Intervention Program, this is supported by the Mariwala Health Initiative (MHI).

“My first encounter with the counsellor was at my home. She listened to my issues patiently and guided me on ways to deal with them. After a few sessions, I felt reassured that there were many people like me with the same problems”, says Belmira.

Coping mechanisms for parents of disabled kids

Now, when Bevan has meltdowns, Belmira handles him calmly. Even her interactions with others has changed. “Now I am more positive and less hyper while interacting with neighbours, friends and family”.

Suzie Paul on the other hand was concerned about how her daughter was coping with a sibling on the spectrum. “My son Sean has autism and I was worried about how my daughter was dealing with a sibling with a disability. They shared a good relationship, but there were issues”.

At Mann, Suzie learned how she could help her daughter overcome her insecurities. “Changes don’t happen instantly, and we are still working towards it, but as parents we have a clearer picture of how to deal with it”.

Founded in 2011, Mann is dedicated to helping children and youth with autism and intellectual disabilities lead an independent and meaningful life. The students come from marginalised backgrounds and Mann empowers them through holistic programmes that cater to specific needs.

Mann does this through a holistic model that supports inclusive and individualised learning achievement with training programmes. This includes concepts required to meet the challenges of society. This eventually translate to an individual’s effective participating and reaching his/her full potential. Challenges are faced by anyone directly or indirectly involved with the individual but are more common among family members who are not properly equipped to handle them. – Gitanjali Gaur, Co-founder, Mann

Improved mental health for disabled persons & families

In partnership with MHI, Mann is implementing The Family Intervention Program, which is a year-long caregivers’ support program in Mumbai. This includes counselling sessions to equip family members and caregivers with information about coping strategies. As part of this MHI is providing training support to the team at Mann who will then use these skills to equip families with the tools they need.

“There is dearth of organisations that follow a rights-based approach and centre agency of adults with intellectual disability”, says Priti Sridhar, Chief Development Officer, MHI. “Mann does this in multiple ways including working with caregivers. Integrating mental health support for all stakeholders is critical to such an approach, thus, MHI saw an opportunity to partner with Mann to co-create a model around mental health within work with adults with intellectual disabilities”. MHi plans to share the programme details widely to encourage more stakeholders in this field to adopt this practice in their work.

Larissa D’Souza, Programme Coordinator, Mann, says the sessions have also helped her communicate effectively. “I always believed that counselling is meant only for people who have a mental illness. It is has taught me to work cooperatively to solve problems. The sessions have helped me develop a way to maintain healthy, functional relations and address specific issues”

The aim of the programme is to improve the mental health outcomes of the person with disability and everyone else in his or her world. More crucially it also aims to prepare the disabled adult to live independently in the absence of caregivers.

Also Read:

  • This lockdown period, Bengaluru based NGO Smileys reaches out to disabled people in different ways

Support us to make NewzHook Sustainable – Make a Contribution Today

We need your continued support to enable us work towards Changing Attitudes towards Disability. Help us in our attempt to share the voices of people with disabilities that enable them to participate in the society on an equal footing!

Contribute to Newz Hook

NH Videos

Healing pain through art - Dr. Anubha Mahajan, Founder Chronic Pain India

Read more on Newz Hook

  • Accessibility,Independent Living
    New batches of Online Group Yoga for persons with blindness/lo-vision

Contribue to Newz Hook |Disability news. Support us to make NewzHook Sustainable – Make a Contribution Today.

Newsletter

 Subscribe to our Newsletter

Want to feature disability stories or share disability news with the disabled community? Write to:

editor@newzhook.com

Related News

Accessibility

New batches of Online Group Yoga for persons with blindness/lo-vision

Newz Hook - Accessible News

Download App Now!

Videos

View More

Parasports

#ThankYouTeacher - Coach Gaurav Khanna has scripted India’s biggest success stories in Deaf & Para Badminton

Get-hooked

Understanding Fine Motor Skills

Get-hooked

#SiblingPower- Deaf siblings Sophia Joe & Richard Joe are riding high on their dreams

Accessibility

Beyond Braille series brings to blind children a new visual language

Newz Hook Logo

About Newz Hook

Newz Hook | Disability News - media site focusing on Disability Stories and Changing Attitudes towards Disability globally. We highlight disability news, offer inclusive solutions and create accessible collaborations. Our focus is to have Inclusion Champions from across the globe who will share disability stories and news.
Lets come together to change attitudes towards disability!

Newz Hook is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Follow us on:

Related Links

  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Partner with Newz Hook
  • Embed Newz Hook Timeline
  • Affiliate disclosure
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Contribute to Newz Hook

Our Awards

Zero Project Award Winner 2018
Back To Top
© 2019 All Right Reserved. Inclusive News India Private Limited.

Ask Bhavna

All fields are mandatory unless specified as optional.