“Schizophrenia Awareness Association (SAA) is a not for profit organisation based in the city of Pune, in Maharashtra State, working since 1997 for persons with mental illness and their families. SAA is run and managed by user survivors, family caregivers and volunteers jointly and is away from proprietary style of functioning. The trustees are elected every three years by the members in the Annual General Meeting. SAA works for and with user survivors and family caregivers. SAA believes in their capacities and encourages them to take responsibility. SAA provides them a forum to share, understand and support. SAA does not receive any grant or funding from any govt. dept. or agency.

SAA’s work is mainly to create awareness and to remove the stigma about schizophrenia and other mental disorders in the community, to promote Self Help Group Activities among persons with mental disorders and their family care givers.