During the media study tour organized by PIB Ahmedabad, a delegation of journalists from Gujarat paid a special visit to the prestigious National Institute of Mental Health Rehabilitation (NIMHR) of the Government of India, located in Sehore, Madhya Pradesh. Functioning under the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India, this institute is the ninth national-level institute in the country. The Government of India has established various institutes for different areas of disability, such as physical disability, visual impairment, hearing and speech impairment, and intellectual disability; however, NIMHR is the only specialized institute in the country dedicated entirely to mental health, treatment, rehabilitation, training, research, and public awareness.

During this visit, the Director of the institute, Dr. Akhilesh Shukla, emphasized that one should not feel ashamed of or hide mental illness, but rather seek proper treatment and rehabilitation. He stated that services such as mental health counseling, psychological evaluation, neuro-psychological testing, specialized training, and community-based rehabilitation services are provided here. The National Institute of Mental Health Rehabilitation is creating skilled manpower through various diploma, certificate, and postgraduate courses in fields such as Clinical Psychologists, Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists, Psychiatric Nursing, and Special Education. Currently, various courses recognized by the Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI) and Barkatullah University, Bhopal are running, and RCI-approved Continuing Rehabilitation Education (CRE) programs are also organized regularly. In the coming time, bachelor's and master's degree courses in Clinical Psychology and Social Work are also going to be started.

Mr. Shukla added that awareness campaigns, screening camps, and outreach programs are conducted in rural and urban areas to spread awareness about mental health among the public. Free coaching for competitive examinations like the Railway Recruitment Board and SSC is provided by the institute for persons with disabilities, through which a student recently achieved success. 'Purple Melas' are organized to bring out the potential inherent in persons with disabilities. Apart from this, a Cross-Disability Early Intervention Center is functional for children aged 0 to 6 years. To make mental health services more effective and accessible, the institute has also signed MoUs with more than 10 leading institutes in the country, including AIIMS Bhopal.

The media representatives who visited the institute appreciated its modern facilities and the outstanding work being done in the field of mental health rehabilitation.

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