JOIN USThe Delhi government is planning to come up with halfway home for people with mental disabilities in Rohini. The pilot project is likely to be launched in the next four months.
The government has roped in NGOs from Jaipur, Bangalore and Hyderabad to launch the project. On September 21, the government will hold a session with 50 NGOs and the Institute of Human Behaviour and Allied Sciences (IHBAS) to work out how the project can be implemented.
The proposed module will include counselling, occupational therapy, music therapy, yoga and meditation therapy, recreational facilities, outdoor sport activities, vocational training and medical treatment.
A halfway home is a place for people with physical, mental and emotional disabilities which helps them cope with the mainstream. It offers both medical and psychiatric assistance. The first halfway home will train people to give them employment opportunities. It will give training to both children and adults alike.
The government has identified five sites till now: Rohini Sector 22, two sites at Rohini Sector 3, Narela and Dwarka Sector 3. The two sites at Rohini Sector 3 have capacities of 40 each. While Rohini Sector 22 and Narela have the capacity to accommodate 25 occupants each, the one at Dwarka has a capacity for 50 people.
Post training, they are likely to find job opportunities like eateries, garment manufacturing units, craft and hospitality industries. The major challenge will be finding job opportunities near the residence of the person with mental disabilities who has been trained.
“The idea is to launch a pilot project which will be reviewed in six months. Once we identify the loopholes in running the project, halfway homes can come up full-fledged. We looked at successful models in Jaipur, Bangalore and Hyderabad and so decided to rope in NGOs from these states. We are also speaking to corporates who have said they can absorb recruits depending on the training they receive,” said a senior government official.
The findings of the pilot project will also help the government decide on a definite model and to experiment with the modules, the official added.
The government will give grants to the NGOs which will be responsible for running the halfway home. The current plan is to run the home with day boarding facilities.
“It is important that the day boarders return to their families in the evening. Staying close to families will help them in the process of integration into the mainstream,” said the official.