Challenges faced by HPMI
HPMI are prone to oppression, scarcity, abuse, exposure to inclement weather conditions, and an exacerbation of symptoms associated with psychoses
Poor living conditions, infections, inaccessibility to basic health services, premature death
No governmental interventions to for those living long term in psychiatric facilities
Perpetuating continued distancing from social resources and participation on equal terms,
The institutional spaces risk defaulting to similar experiences of a lowered quality of life
Efforts
700 people have accessed housing support and social care through the ‘Home Again’ collaborative across nine States in India
Noteworthy efforts in India is the collaboration between the National Health Mission, the Tamil Nadu Department of Health, the Institute of Mental Health, The Banyan, the Azim Premji Foundation and local civil society organisations.
Way forward
It requires more than the very small effort that is accorded now, to complicate the narrative and texture the phenomenon with the complexity that it deserves
Social protection and support measures for homeless people with mental illness require a liberatory-focused strategies.
A monthly priority disability allowance or out of work allowance of ₹1,500, while modest, could serve as a critical lifeline for those pushed to the margins of social hierarchy
By addressing the bureaucratic hurdles of securing Aadhar and facilitating banking access for HPMI, we pave the way for financial inclusion and economic empowerment.
Structural issues such as discrimination and violence, segregation and deprivation, need to be emphatically addressed
Workforce participation, when thoughtfully facilitated, becomes a powerful tool for reappropriating economic space
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