Health

Anti-Drug Awareness Program

Our History :

Name of the project                :  Anti-Drug Awareness Program

Date                                                : 15/02/2017

Venue                                             : North Nagpur

Participant / Trainee             : Students / Parents / Civil Society

Preface :

The young India facing chronic problem that is Alcohol/ Tobacco/ Drug addiction followed and growing by young youth and underage children of our society, such addiction has no bar irrespective of caste, class and religion. It is been found that the numbers of student are mostly affected by the several anti-social element or global environmental changes of culture and imitation. Same as these youth followed such addiction put them into several dangerous zone of feature that not as good as a person to society at large.

Program goal:

We the VCS, Nagpur, proposed project at North Nagpur, Maharashtra State will be focus on children and youth in and outside educational institution. The program will be start at the school level addressing adolescent groups and continue with college students. Parents-teachers will be sensitized to develop skills to understand the psychology of the youth and to help them keep away from substance abuse. The mobile population like tourists and truck drivers, children of alcoholics and drug addicts, children of TB/HIV/Cancer affected parents, school dropouts will be specifically addressed to the local culture and in the local language. Utilization of audio visual aids such as slides, CD’s, Power point, Films, etc. and use of innovative methods like street plays, seminars, group discussions will be included. People holding positions of respect and credibility like local governance leaders, school/college principles / teachers/ lectures will be associated with the program.

Program objectives:

To create awareness and educate people about the ill effects of drug and substance abuse on the individual, the family, the workplace and society large

    • To provide for the whole range of community based services for the identification, motivation, counseling, de-addiction, after care and rehabilitation to make a person drug free, crime free and gainfully employed.
    • To alleviate the consequences of drug and alcohol, tobacco dependence amongst the individual, the family and society at large
    • To facilitate training, documentation and collection of relevant information to strengthen the above mentioned objectives and

Program report:

Preventive education and awareness generation program addressed specific target groups (vulnerable and at risk groups) in their neighborhood, educational institutions, workplace, slum and social welfare organization with the determination of sensitizing the community about the impact of addiction and the need to take professional help to treat or referral

The program had focused on children and youth in and outside educational institution. The programs started at the school level addressing adolescent groups and continue with college students. Parents-teachers also sensitized to develop skills to understand the psychology of the youth and to help them keep away from substance abuse. The mobile population like tourists and truck drivers, children of alcoholics and drug addicts, children of TB/HIV/Cancer affected parents, school dropouts also specifically addressed.

The awareness program has appropriate to the local culture and in the local language. Utilization of audio visual aids such as slides, CD’s, Power point, Films, etc. and use of innovative methods like street plays, seminars, group discussions included. People holding positions of respect and credibility like local governance leaders, school/college principles / teachers/ lectures associated with the program.

Evaluation :

The funded organization will established and maintain a computerized and handmade database. This would enhance effective communication along with timely submission of half year reports and Drug abuse monitoring system report, as per required by the ministry for evaluation purposes.

The organization will take care to maintain minimum standards to developed quality control services under the project. The objectivity of the each activity and program under the project maintain the input and outputs, the responsibilities of each functionary, the implementation of the various activities would be conform to provision of the manual assessment of the program would take into account of the organization with the manual standards. 

The approach of this project has to provide the whole range of services including awareness generation, identification, counseling to addicts through voluntary and other organization. With a view to reducing the demand for and consumption of alcohol, tobacco and dependence producing substances, the thrust on preventive education programs and whole person recovery of the drug dependent person

In order to achieve the objectives of the project the key strategies as follows to evolve culture-specific model for the prevention of alcoholism, tobacco and substance abuse and for rehabilitation of drug dependent person. To promoted collective initiatives and self-help endeavor among individual and groups vulnerable to addiction or found at risk. To increased community participation and public cooperation in the reduction of demand for dependence producing substances. To promoted and sustain a system of continuous monitoring and evaluation including self-correctional mechanism. To develop a media plan for creating awareness against ill effects of drug/alcohol/tobacco abuse

Conclusion:

Alcohol / Tobacco/ Drug use constitutes one of the most serious public health issues for young people in the India. In fact, according to the national youth risk behavior survey released that the alcohol / tobacco/ drug remains the substance with the highest rate of use among high school and college students at 72.5%. Tragic health, social and economic problems result from the use of alcohol/ tobacco/ drug by youth. Underage drinking is a causal factor in a host of serious problems, including homicide, suicide, traumatic injury, drowning, burns, violent and properly crime, high risk sex, fetal alcohol syndrome, alcohol poisoning and need for treatment for alcohol abuse and dependence. Approximately 500 young people under the age of 21 die as a result of underage. Thus, the most common prevention strategy for youth is education-especially school-collage based prevention. Findings have demonstrated the effectiveness of specifically schools and college’s strategies and the benefits of such based drug prevention are thought to exceed the costs (Bell, 2005). It is imperative that school/colleges are on the front line fighting to educate students of the dangers of underage alcohol/ tobacco/ drug use and implement program to prevent underage drinking.

Mental Health Awareness and Training Program

Our History :

Name of the project              : Mental Health Awareness and Training Program

Date                                              :  14/03/2016

Venue                                            : North Nagpur Region of Nagpur City

Participant / Trainee             : Students / Parents and Civil Society

Preface :

(10–19 years) is a unique and formative time. Whilst most adolescents have good mental health, multiple physical, emotional and social changes, including exposure to poverty, abuse, or violence, can make adolescents vulnerable to mental health problems. Promoting psychological well-being and protecting adolescents from adverse experiences and risk factors which may impact their potential to thrive are not only critical for their well-being during adolescence, but also for their physical and mental health in adulthood.

A healthy, safe and enriching physical and social environment promoters individual and community mental health. The predictable negative influences on mental health of poverty, discrimination, malnutrition, environmental factors (including access to safe water, toilets and sanitation), exposure to violence and absence of parental figures (death, divorce or displacement) affect individuals across their life span. Certain life stages have unique challenges which should be recognized and addressed to promote mental health and overall health and wellbeing of a population. Negative influences have varied impact depending on life stages for example malnutrition affects children worse than adults. There has been a relative neglect both in policy and practice of the promotion of mental health at the community level. There is however organization and institutions that have experimented, studied and worked on different mental health promotion measures this experience will be built upon.

Program goal:

To promote recovery and early intervention, VCS have a mission to reduce stigma and discrimination associated with mental health as well as to provide a holistic person-centered approach to a stress free environment for youth, women, children and the underprivileged community members through emotional and mental health support, care and education.  

Program objectives:

  • Understand the symptoms and risk factors relating to common mental health issues (e.g. depression, anxiety disorders) and psychotic disorders
  • Have an understanding of mental health policy and legislation in the North Nagpur

Program report:

Mental Health First Aid Training – Mental Health and Well-Being are both areas that have been previously marginalized and neglected in India and across the world. This relates to the historical stigma and lack of understanding attached to mental illness; however, poor mental health is a key factor that underpins many physical health problems and acts as an underlying driver for much health risk behavior, including smoking, substance misuse and obesity. Additionally, poor mental health has a significant impact on the wider society, affecting parenting skills, family and social cohesion, educational achievement, anti-social and offending behavior, sickness absence and economic productivity.

Mental health problems can affect people in different ways at any time during their lives. They affect not only individuals and their families, but friends, work colleagues and employers too. Many people suffer a mental illness for a long time before they seek help.

Mental Health First Aid an evidence base international program. VCS is a 2-day training course that teaches how to recognize symptoms of mental health problems, how to deal with a crisis situation and how to spot the first signs of someone developing mental ill health. After attending the course participants able to:

  • Spot the early signs of a mental health problem
  • Feel confident helping someone experiencing a problem
  • Provide help on a first aid basis
  • Help prevent someone from hurting themselves or others
  • Help stop a mental illness from getting worse
  • Help someone recover faster
  • Guide someone towards the right support and
  • Reduce the stigma of mental health problems.

The content of the course covers a verity of mental health issues with information regarding the symptoms, treatment and ways in which first aid should be approached. The mental health issues covered include: Depression, anxiety, psychosis, self-harm and suicide.

DAY 1

Tea, coffee and introductions

Session 1 (3 hours 15 mins, break mid-way)

  • Why mental health first aid?
    Mental health policy in India
  • What is mental health?
    Common mental health problems
  • Attitudes and anti-stigma campaign
  • The 5 steps of mental health first aid
  • What is depression?
  • Symptoms of depression
  • Risk factors for depression
  • Depression in the workplace

Lunch

Session 2 (3 hours 20 mins, break mid-way)

  • Suicide in England and Wales
  • Crisis first aid for suicidal behaviour
  • Crisis first aid for overdose
  • First aid for depression
  • Treatment and resources for depression                   

DAY 2

Tea & coffee on arrival

Session 3 (3 hours 20 mins, break mid-way)

  • What are anxiety disorders (PTSD, GAD, social phobia, panic disorder, agoraphobia, OCD)?
  • Symptoms of anxiety disorders
  • Alcohol, drugs and anxiety disorders
  • Crisis first aid for panic attacks
  • Crisis first aid for acute stress reaction
  • Treatment and resources for anxiety disorders                                
  • Other expressions of distress including self-harm

 Lunch

Session 4 (3 hours 40 mins, break mid-way)

  • What are psychotic disorders (schizophrenia, bipolar disorder)?
  • Symptoms of psychotic disorders
  • Risk factors for psychosis
  • Crisis first aid for acute psychosis
  • Treatment and resources for psychosis
  • Mental health legislation
  • Other expressions of distress, including self-harm
  • Action planning for using VCS

 

Evaluation :

Mental health awareness campaigns have yielded positive outcomes. Some of the strategies undertaken to target awareness and address stigma around mental illness include participation by family members, sensitization to treatment and social inclusion. Lack of knowledge about the mental illnesses poses a challenge to the mental health care delivery system. Research has highlighted the role of community-based systems in low-income countries and has also yielded positive results in creating awareness, thereby impacting participation.

Awareness and health literacy are two sides of the same coin. Stigma and discrimination are negative consequences of ignorance and misinformation. There are a few studies which have measured mental health literacy in the Indian context. One study found mental health literacy among adolescents to be very low, i.e. depression was identified by 29.04% and schizophrenia/psychosis was recognized only by 1.31%. Stigma was noted to be present in help-seeking.

These findings reinforce the need to increase awareness of mental health. Mental health literacy is a related concept which is increasingly seen as an important measure of the awareness and knowledge of mental health disorders. Health literacy has been described as ability to access, understand, and use the information to promote and maintain good health.

Conclusion:

Considering that most of the earlier strategies to enhance mental health have not succeeded over the past six or seven decades or more in less-developed countries, the time has come to take on a new approach with renewed vigor. Mental health awareness can become both the means and the way of ending this apathy. Progressive government policies based on evidence-based approaches, an engaged media, a vibrant educational system, a responsive industry, aggressive utilization of newer technologies and creative crowd-sourcing might together help dispel the blight of mental illnesses.

Women Health Care Awareness Program

Our History :

Name of the project / Program                 : Women Health Care Awareness Program

Date                                                                      : 20/12/2018 to 28/01/2019

Venue                                                                  : Rural and Urban Slum of Nagpur city

Participants / Trainee                                 : Women and couples of north Nagpur

Preface :

Women and children together constitute about 67.7% of the country’s population, as per 2011 Census. Empowerment and protection of women and children, and ensuring their wholesome development is crucial for sustainable and equitable development of the country.

Towards creating a healthier society by popularizing preventive measures; Indian Women and Child Welfare VCS organizes health awareness programs on various issues of health and hygiene. For this purpose, we make use of visual media which communities are familiar. Another strategy to engage is involving children and youth in awareness programs debates etc. Children are the best messengers to carry the message to their parents, family and other community members. Health-weeks and health camps are also generally organized in slums for different age groups.

Program goal:

Program goal lead to care and promote with awareness generation among women and couples about life stage and circle which they should know and aware others about the pregnancy, child birth, childhood care, adolescence care and adulthood care. A scale of care means working with women and children from birth to adulthood in order to break the intergenerational cycle of poor health. Gender based violence cuts across all stages along the field of care. We aim to ensure they have continuous access to and awareness of the health services they need to live a health and safe live.

Program objectives:

  • Encouraging institutional deliveries through the public health system
  • Identifying preventing and treating malnutrition
  • Capacity building to deliver better public services for child health and nutrition
  • Educating adolescents on reproductive health and gender equality
  • Creating a cadre of youth to become community change agents
  • Providing mental health and legal services to women facing violence and improved knowledge and access to Planned Parenthood

Program report:

Information about the conduct of health awareness sessions and camps is widely canvassed by Women and Child Welfare VCS well in advance. These sessions and camps are organized in coordination with the community keeping their time and other constraints in mind. Through these Activities, VCS ensures that such programs reach maximum number of people.

While the health statistics of rural continue to be poor, the health status and access to health for the poor in urban slum dwellers has surfaced to be equally deplorable and have less than 4% of government primary healthcare facilities.

Urban slum dwellers suffer from adverse health conditions owing to mainly two reasons –first the lack of education and thus lack of awareness; and second the unwillingness to lose a day’s wage in order to reach the nearest medical facility. Healthcare for underprivileged, which is a desperate need, thus remains unaddressed.

So for VCS form and established four centers two at rural and two at urban slum area where our female social worker and counselors provide all possible and necessarily information to procedure to get better health access and precautions. 

Evaluation :

When women try to meet their needs for reproductive health care and other health care services, they often face a fragmentation in the health care system itself. Furthermore, women make more visits to the doctor than do men. Women are highly interested in, and informed about, health care issues. However, reliable information about health care has not been widely available. National studies have indicated that women may not be as satisfied with the information they receive from their health care providers as are men or with the level of communication with their provider. Furthermore, several studies have found that health care providers treat women differently than they do men. Compared with the treatment given to men, health providers may give women less thorough evaluations for similar complaints, minimize their symptoms, provide fewer interventions for the same diagnoses, prescribe some types of medications more often, or provide less explanation in response to questions.

Conclusion:

Considering that most of the earlier strategies to enhance women health care and services yet it not succeeded over the past seven decades or more. The time has come to take on a new approach with renewed vigor. Women health care awareness and legal awareness can become both the means and the way of ending this apathy.

 Progressive government policies based on evidence-based approaches, an engaged media, a vibrant educational system, a responsive industry, aggressive utilization of newer technologies and creative crowd-sourcing might together help dispel the blight of women health care.

Youth Mental Health Challenges during the Pandemic

Our History :

Name of the project / Program       : Youth Mental Health Challenges during the Pandemic

Date                                                             : 15/03/2020

Venue                                                          : North Nagpur

Participants / Trainee                          : Civil society and youths

Preface :

Many aspects of life, including poverty and social exclusion, circumstances such as bullying, traumatic events, and conflict and post-conflict experiences, have deleterious impacts on mental-health conditions among youth. In many cases, perpetrators of bullying and violent events also suffer from mental health conditions whereas, traditionally, more emphasis is given to victims. The section concludes with a discussion on the risk factors that contribute to the development of mental-health conditions in youth living in low- and middle-income families. While many of the risk factors associated with mental-health conditions for youth in low- and middle-income families are the same as those in high-income countries, young people in low- and middle-income Families face a particular set of risk factors, such as poor nutrition, lack of resources, poor educational systems, conflict, war and displacement. A variety of risk factors for mental-health conditions is considered next, with a particular focus on bullying, stress, traumatic events, exposure to conflict, and poverty. Evidently, youth may face a number of stressors in the course of their development, and it is often more the accumulation of these risks which portends greatest risk, rather than any one particular experience

Before the coronavirus pandemic, one in five children and adolescents struggled with a mental health or learning disorder. Then the pandemic hit, bringing an upsurge in youth reporting mental health challenges. Though our understanding of the pandemic’s mental health impacts is still evolving, it’s clear thus far that despite the challenges of the pandemic, children and young adults are remarkably resilient and able to cope with the ongoing stress and uncertainty in healthy ways. At the same time, certain identifiable groups of young people are more at risk for negative mental health outcomes.

Program goal:

Given the concerns about access to care and stigma, it is helpful to consider the role of mental-health promotion and the prevention of mental-health conditions, as this may reduce the need for services, and better link everyday practice with services through enhanced systems of care. Multiple frameworks have been put forth to characterize both the public-health approach to prevention

Program objectives:

  • What do we know about how the pandemic has affected young people’s mental health?
  • What are some of the most common mental health challenges that children and adolescents has experienced?
  • What are the major risk factors for experiencing mental health challenges during the pandemic?
  • What do we know about the potential long-term mental health effects of the pandemic?
  • How can we reduce the mental health impacts of the next global public health crisis and the remainder of this one?

Program report:

Above said program thrusrtly based on the interaction and discussion leveled program where we approached the student, youth, parents, school and community with the non-governmental organization their role and support to such issues where adolescent and youth need to more care and awareness on self and society same as sanskara and karma teaching to leading the life ahead.  We collect the data that basically followed the questionaries’ and interviews as they express on how pandemic has affected students, parents and youths. What challenges been faced. Earning and lifestyle changes and current situation as they are presently deal with.

We, VCS and team develop and design the program outlook and its importance to cover and reach out the student and parents.  Discussion and interview along with awareness program has been helps us to understand the need and challenges of society and youth more clear and crystal. 

As per geographical area of proposed project it huge so for we identified the three area of nearby our office and can be reaches out easily. These three areas have been divided into five part of colony and Gallies and each part have team leader who lead and completion the project with its objectives. Same as this team followed all necessary covid -19 guideline and precautions.

Evaluation :

As per our findings that lead to challenges the Policies and programs which aimed at de-institutionalizing youth with mental-health conditions and moving services into other systems of care, such as family, school- and community-based prevention programs, may help overcome the potentially iatrogenic effects of inadequate mental-health systems.

Conclusion:

Worldwide, mental health has been neglected by governments and policymakers alike. Approximately one third of countries lack mental-health budgets, and many that do designate funding allocate less than 1 per cent of their overall health budget to mental health, with lower-income countries spending a smaller overall proportion of health funds on mental health than higher-income countries (Saxena and others, 2007).

Disparities between need and available services exist in all countries; although treatment rates are higher in high-income countries than elsewhere, they still do not exceed 50 per cent of need. Policies and programs aimed at de-institutionalizing youth with mental-health conditions and moving services into other systems of care, such as family, school- and community-based prevention programs, may help overcome the potentially iatrogenic effects of inadequate mental-health systems. Similarly, school-based policies targeting children with learning disabilities serve both as a vehicle for reducing barriers to service and for ensuring that access to care occurs in a normal setting where youth spend a considerable amount of their time. Policies are needed which require schools both to implement preventive programming.