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A Snapshot

How SHIFA Works on the Ground

SHIFA bridges the mental health treatment gap in rural India through an integrated community-based approach—bringing together accessible mental health care, psychosocial support, resilience-building, community networks, and partnerships. Over the years, this approach has evolved into a community system that strengthens local capacity, enables shared leadership, and nurtures community ownership for sustainable mental health and inclusive development.

philosophy and guiding principle of our work

Our Approach

SHIFA follows an integrated community-based mental health and development approach that strengthens individual well-being while building resilient and inclusive communities. Recognizing that mental health is shaped by social, economic, environmental, and cultural factors, the project combines evidence-informed mental health care with community participation, empowerment, and rights-based development to create sustainable pathways to recovery and well-being.

Our project modality is guided by interconnected pathways:

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Integrating Mental Health with Development Embedding mental health within community development to promote inclusion, participation, and holistic well-being.

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Putting People at the Center Recognizing people with lived experience and their families as active partners and experts in their own recovery, well-being, and development.

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Building Resilience and Livelihoods Strengthening resilience by fostering social connections and expanding livelihood opportunities, enabling persons with psychosocial disabilities to restore their lives and participate fully in community life.

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Addressing Barriers and Enablers Promoting awareness of the social and environmental determinants of mental health while reducing barriers and strengthening community support systems.

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Strengthening Community Ownership Equipping staff, volunteers, and communities with participatory approaches that encourage local leadership, shared learning, and sustainable outcomes.

The strength of SHIFA lies in -- Local People Leading Local Solutions.

Building a Community Mental Health Volunteer Network

Recognising the shortage of specialist mental health professionals in rural India, SHIFA adopts a task-sharing approach by equipping local Community Mental Health Volunteers with practical knowledge, skills and tools to support mental health care within their own communities.

Through continuous mentoring and supportive supervision, these volunteers become a trusted bridge between families, communities and formal health services, making mental health care more accessible, inclusive and sustainable.

SHIFA Community Mental Health Volunteer Network meeting
#13 MHVs

Psychosocial Care & Home Visits

Community Mental Health Volunteers

Supporting home-based psychosocial care, follow-up, recovery planning and family engagement.

#5 MHVs

Youth Resilience Facilitators

Community Mental Health Volunteers

Facilitating emotional resilience sessions for adolescents and young people.

#1 Couple

Parenting Facilitators

Couple conducting weekly sessions

Strengthening positive parenting and healthy family relationships.

#1 Motivator

DPO Motivator

Volunteer

Supporting leadership of persons with disabilities, rights awareness and disability inclusion.

#2 CBID*

CBID Workers for Children with Special Needs

*(Community Based Inclusive Development Trained Under Rehabilitation Council of India)

Workers

Promoting community-based inclusive development and access to services.

#2 MHVs

DPG Facilitators

DPO and PWD alliance for linkages

Mobilising Disabled People's Groups for participation, peer support and collective action.

From participation to community leadership

Strengthening Community Ownership

One of SHIFA's most significant outcomes has been the emergence of community ownership. What began in 2013 as village-level Disabled People's Groups (DPGs) meeting for mutual support and advocacy gradually evolved into a community-led movement. Driven by the vision of local people leading local solutions, members themselves decided to establish a formal organisation. In March 2018, their collective effort resulted in the registration of GHOSALA Divyang Sewa Samittee under the Societies Registration Act, 1860—transforming an informal network into a legally recognised Organisation of Persons with Disabilities (DPO).

Today, SHIFA continues to strengthen the members through capacity building in governance, leadership, legal compliance, and organisational management while supporting the them to fulfil its broader social role. Through community-based rehabilitation initiatives, rights and entitlement facilitation, livelihood promotion, community mobilisation, and partnerships, the organisation continues to grow as an independent community institution dialoguing and forging for the inclusion, dignity, and well-being of persons with physical & Psychosocial disabilities.

Organisational Strengthening

Governance, leadership, statutory compliance and institutional development.

Community Action

Rights and entitlements, community rehabilitation, DPG-DPO interface and disability inclusion.

Livelihood & Sustainability

Micro-enterprises, skills development, resource mobilisation and future partnerships.

The emergence of GHOSALA Divyang Sewa Samittee represents a natural outcome of SHIFA's long-term investment in community participation, leadership, and collective action.

Our Theory of Change

SHIFA believes that mental health and development go hand in hand. By addressing the determinants of mental health, strengthening resilience, and creating opportunities for participation and inclusion, we support individuals, families, and communities to achieve improved well-being and a better quality of life.

Mental Health Condition Of Individual, Family And Community
Poor
Resilience
Project Intervention
Preferred Future
Preferred Future
Mental Health Condition of Individual, Family and Community
Improved
Quality
Of Life

Our Continuum of Care

SHIFA delivers an integrated continuum of care that spans prevention, early identification, treatment, recovery, family engagement, school-based resilience, community participation, livelihoods, lay leadership, and systems strengthening. Together, these interconnected interventions ensure that individuals, families, and communities receive holistic and sustained mental health support.

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Clinical Outreach

  • Community awareness, identification, and screening
  • Referral to fortnightly mental health clinics
  • Diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up
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Continuum of Care

Home-Based Psychosocial Follow-up & Care
  • Task-sharing through trained community volunteers
  • Individualized care planning
  • Home-based psychosocial support and family strengthening
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Behaviour Change Curriculum

  • School-based emotional resilience curriculum
  • Parenting curriculum for nurturing healthy child development and family well-being
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Community Dialogue & Action

  • Creating enabling environments through participatory dialogue tools
  • Community mobilization and collective action
  • Strengthening DPOs and community alliances
  • Linkages to rights, entitlements, and referral services
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Capacity Building and Leadership of key stakeholders

  • Community Mental Health Volunteers
  • ASHAs
  • Teachers and Madrasa Educators
  • Panchayati Raj Institution (PRI) Members
  • Religious Leaders
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Networking & Partnerships

  • Partnerships with the Health and Education Departments
  • Strengthening referral pathways and service coordination
  • Developing SHIFA as a learning site for scaling up community-based mental health and social action research

Want to know the tools behind these interventions?

Explore the IEC materials, research and studies that support SHIFA's community mental health approach.

View Resources