How to Ensure Mental Health for Street Children

1. SALAAM BAALAK TRUST SALAAM BAALAK TRUST IS AN INDIAN NON-PROFIT AND NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATION WHICH PROVIDES A SENSITIVE AND CARING ENVIRONMENT TO STREET AND WORKING CHILDREN IN DELHI, INDIA How to Ensure Mental Health for Street Childr​en 9/20/2016 0 COMMENTS Most children who work and survive on the streets live in terrible unhygienic conditions and are therefore susceptible to many diseases and infections. Hence it is imperative to conduct medical check-ups regularly at the shelters provided to them by non- pro?t organizations. At such centres, every child is provided with an individual health card that records a child’s medical history of diseases, check-ups and treatments. The kids must be regularly vaccinated, treated by doctors and subjected to pathological tests if prescribed by a doctor. Health camps are a good way to increase awareness and provide fundamental health needs to these street children. To ensure good health of the children, their nutritional needs must be met on priority. Providing them with nutritionally balanced hot meals is necessary. It must be checked that the kitchens where the meals are prepared are safe and sanitary. Some children may need a different diet than others due to a speci?c illness or de?ciencies of protein and iron. These children should be provided with specifically made food and additional supplements to boost their health. Mental Health The streets can be a harsh and unforgiving place for young children to live and work. Most of them suffer from bouts of anger, depression and fear due to their terrible lifestyles. Not only are they exposed to perpetual violence and struggle but also a threatening atmosphere that affects the young minds of these children adversely. When non-pro?t organizations for street children take them under their wing, their lives are transformed completely. They face new challenges in their new environment, meet new people and have to acclimatize to a different lifestyle. Sometimes these changes can disturb a child’s mind and give rise to a temptation to return to the familiar street life. The NGO centres must ensure that the transformation is gradual and well- guided so as to make the children realize the benefits of secure and caring surroundings. To ensure that the homeless street children feel secure in the child-friendly surroundings provided by NGOs, many institutions start a mental health programme, which is usually headed by noted doctor/psychiatrist. How They Work

2. The mental health programmes held for the children have quali?ed and capable counsellors who advise the children and tend to their psychological needs. A child facing emotional and psychological problems is usually referred to a counsellor by volunteers and teachers. These children are encouraged to undergo various psychological and clinical tests to determine the root cause and intensity of their dif?culties. Sometimes specialized treatments and therapies are provided to children suffering from depression or effects of trauma experienced at an early age. A few common therapies that are used to identify and heal mental problems are art-based therapy, play therapy, cognitive behaviour therapy, group therapy etc. The children are encouraged to approach their counsellors whenever they feel the need to share. The counsellors play multiple roles ranging from close con?dante, with whom the children share their intimate thoughts and desires, to a punching bag on whom they can release their pent up anger and frustrations. They even act as a friend for the kids and share jokes, stories and happiness. It is the responsibility of these counsellors to ensure that the children know that they can talk their hearts out without being judged or ignored. Such kind of mental health programmes have been adopted by many NGOs like Salaam Baalak Trust whose primary aim is to rescue and support the neglected street children. Salaam Baalak Trust started a proper Mental Health Programme (MHP) under the guidance of Dr Amit Sen. Like Like 0 0 Comments Leave a Reply. Name (required) Email (not published) Website Comments Notify me of new comments to this post by email SUBMIT Archives August 2016 Categories

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