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Mental Health Action Trust (MHAT)

MHAT is a Charitable Trust, based in Kozhikode, Kerala, which provides good quality, comprehensive mental health care to the poorest sections of the population with severe mental disorders. It is entirely based in the community with no provision for hospital admissions and people are selected based on a process of economic screening. All community services are provided in collaboration with like-minded local partners which makes it possible to offer services free at the point of delivery of care. Clinics are usually held at weekly intervals with the MHAT team travelling to the clinics from its base.

Besides the community based clinical service, the MHAT Rotary Centre for Urban Engagement (R-Cue) at Kozhikode acts as the hub for all other activities. Besides hosting the MHAT offices, it houses the MHAT Centre for Psychotherapy, The Mann Art Café, the MHAT Information Centre, and the Art Therapy Centre. It is also the venue for various training courses, meetings and the bimonthly Talaash programme.

MHAT believes that apart from bio-psycho-social care, other healing approaches also play a pivotal role in helping achieve recovery. MHAT is also involved in multidisciplinary research.

Mission

To surmount the constraints of stigma, prejudice, and economic barriers to bring high-quality mental health care to the underprivileged

Vision

A world where the community is engaged in offering high-quality, recovery-oriented, mental health care for the poorest of the poor

Values

Quality

A commitment to high standards in all the work we do

Respect

An approach to internal and external customers in a way that is primarily acknowledging and sensitive of their humanness.

Working Together

A commitment to involving and maintaining connections with, patients, families, carers and communities with a view to co-create solutions and aid in decision-making to bring the highest value to all involved.

Equality

A belief that fundamentally all beings are equal, irrespective of the roles we play or the labels we bear

Love

An all-encompassing feeling of care that is nondiscriminatory, causeless and consistent.

About Mental Health Action Trust

Who is MHAT?

MHAT or Mental Health Action Trust,  is a Charitable Trust, based in Kozhikode, Kerala, which provides good quality, comprehensive mental health care to the poorest sections of the population with severe mental disorders.

What is unique about the way MHAT operates?

MHAT’s work is entirely based in the community with no provision for hospital admissions. This means patients continue to remain in their homes or localities while receiving service

How can a Mental Health service be offered entirely in the community?

This is possible because the MHAT model is volunteer-led, community-driven, recovery and rehabilitation oriented and based on the principle of task sharing.

What is task-sharing?

Task sharing involves redefining the dynamics of psychiatric care with experienced psychiatrists taking care of critical aspects of care and delegating the rest of the tasks to professionals with less training as well as to mental health workers.

How can “non -experts” effectively participate in the delivery of mental health care?

This is possible because these “non-experts” are offered context-relevant training, support and supervision on a continuous basis as they engage in the delivery of care.

Why was the need for an innovation in the model felt?

The model puts the ownership of patient recovery not just on the patient, family or doctor but rather on the entire community, which includes volunteers and mental health workers. This is extremely important, particularly in a country where the treatment gap is about 80%.

How does MHAT afford the costs involved?

This model is cost-effective because it is decentralized, thereby making it possible to offer it to the poorest of the poor. And the community makes a contribution to take care of the expenses.

How does MHAT reach its services and maintain clinical records in a dispersed setup?

MHAT accomplishes this by using cutting edge technology involving databases, apps and video conferencing tools.

How can a someone access MHAT’s service?

MHAT Patients are selected based on a process of economic at the community clinics based on socio-economic criteria set bu MHAT. The idea is to channel the limited resources to the marginalized sections of society. Someone wanting access to the services can contact any of our clinics (please visit clinics page) and check with the community partners.

Who supports MHAT in the community?

All of MHAT’s community services are provided in collaboration with like-minded local partners in the community such as palliative care centres and other social organizations.

What method and frequency of delivering the primary clinical service?

Clinics are usually held at weekly intervals with the MHAT team travelling to the clinics from its base.

What other services does MHAT offer?

Besides community-based clinical service, the MHAT Rotary Centre for Urban Engagement (R-Cue) at Kozhikode acts as the hub for all other activities. Besides hosting the MHAT offices, it houses the MHAT Centre for Psychotherapy, The Mann Art Café, the MHAT Information Centre, and the Art Therapy Centre. It is also the venue for various training courses, meetings and the bimonthly Talaash programme.