Persons with Mental Illness do better, when living in the community; hence their stay in institutions, should be-brief and only when unavoidable. However, it is not conducive for recovery, if patients stay 24 hours at home interacting only with family members. For those, unable to find work or socialize, attending a day rehabilitation centre is a good option to step out of the house, socialize and receive non-medical therapy. It also provides relief to the stressed family members.
SAA runs a Day Rehabilitation Centre at Dhayari in Pune. In a homelike, peaceful, green environment, clients receive therapeutic day care and participate in rehabilitation related programmes. The Centre, spread over 5 levels, has a large yoga hall, activity rooms, library, committee room, counseling room, respite room, dinning area, kitchen, lounge, auditorium, jogging track and other facilities. Various activities and therapies are conducted by clinical psychologists and experienced volunteers. Clients, unable to commute on their own are provided pickup and drop facility.
Clients attending the Centre are helped to relearn the forgotten skills and build their capacity to perform various skills. They are encouraged to lead the activities to build their confidence and to develop leadership, group management and planning skills. While a few of the activities like jogging and yoga are common for all, a few more are planned for clients individually keeping in view the nature and intensity of their illness, area of interest, personal capacity, education, age, understanding and skill.
ACTIVITIES CARRIED OUT AT THE CENTRE
Vocational :
Madhubani, Warli, Glass Painting, Emboss Painting, Block Painting, Diwali lamps, lamp Shades, Origami, Murals, Wall Frames, Paper Bags, Envelops, Tie and Dye, Wood Flowers, Soft Toys, Jewelry Making, Greeting Cards, Wall Pieces,Show Pieces, Door Hangings, Handkerchiefs, Napkins, Cushions, Table Covers, Bed Covers, Spice Powders, Chocolates, Olive Candies, Sauces, pickles, Paper Cups, Cotton Carding, soaps, Detergent Powder, Cleansing Material.
Therapeutic:
Group Reading-Newspapers and Books, Monitored Group Discussions and Insight Orientation, Free Hand Drawing and Painting, Coloring Shapes, Pasting, Collage, Singing, Instrument Playing, Drum Beating, Dance Movements, Motor Movement, Facial Expressions, Body Movements, Art Based Therapy, Diary Writing,
Skill Development :
Computers, Spoken English, Speech Delivery, Group Discussions, Money Handling, Cooking and Hand writing.
Mind and Body :
Self Care, Yoga, Pranayama, Aerobics, Gardening, Jogging, Outdoor Games, Indoor Games such as Dice Game, Train Game, Thumb and Coin Game, Cultural Programmes, Excursions.
In addition to the above activities, regular counseling sessions are held for all the service users and assessments are done using Positive and Negative Rating Scale and IDEA Scale. The families are kept informed of the progress and invited for discussions. Individual files are maintained for each client. The counselors manage occasional crisis situations which develop due to the nature of illness. User survivors get paid for the items prepared by them in their activity programmes and also the profits earned on sale are distributed among them.
The clients attending regularly are benefited by the therapeutic programmes and show considerable improvement over a period. As observed by the staff and volunteers and confirmed by caregivers and also revealed by idea scale, the symptoms come down substantially and their participation in activities at the Centre and attending to chores at their respective homes goes up. The activities at the Centre help in restoring confidence and money earned from sundry jobs done at the Centre, incentives earned for behavioral modifications and the articles made and sold gives them a sense of achievement and empowerment. Their leading the activities and taking sessions builds their confidence and equips them for employment. Getting paid for their work and helping others enhances their self-esteem. There are success stories; some have found employment; some have joined family business, some have started their own venture.
Clients coming to the Centre rediscover their own identity in an environment, where their actions are not criticized, where there is warmth and empathy and where there is no stigma. Rehabilitation programmes at the Centre help clients with complex mental health problems to regain cognitive, emotional, social, intellectual and physical skills needed to live, learn, work and function independently in the community with least interference from the symptoms. Rehabilitation remains a continuous process at the Centre. The ultimate goal is to make the clients independent in all aspects of their lives, financial, social, relationships building and maintaining.