Expansion of residential interventions with the homeless mentally ill women, in which, the existing care and rehabilitation centre would continue to function as a transit care unit, and a new rehabilitation centre would be set up.

The incumbent sheltered workshop run by Ashadeep is being opened for the rehabilitation of women for training in various vocations. During the three-year project period, Ashadeep is providing initial care and treatment to about 350 homeless mentally ill women and integrating about 65 per cent of these women with their families.

Expansion to other parts of Assam and North East through a partnership with the Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi (LGB) Institute of Mental Health, Tezpur, under the World Health Organisation (WHO) Biennium Programme for 2006-07, for developing a model for mental health care and treatment of homeless mentally ill.

Some of the expected outcomes of the project are rescue and rehabilitation of 350 mentally ill women from the streets of Guwahati and nearby areas. Nearly 100 of these women would be provided vocational training in the sheltered workshop and halfway home run by Ashadeep. In addition, about 7,000 mentally ill persons would receive care and treatment through the outreach programmes that have been planned.

Understanding mental health