Initiatives

A Talent Meet to explore and exhibit the talents of people with mental illness.

Cadabams understands that support and opportunity from the community can make a difference to a patient’s sense of self-image and self-worth. Hence, ANVESHA was formed to provide a platform and opportunity to exhibit and explore the unique talents of individuals with mental health issues.

After interacting with thousands of people with mental health problems and their families, Mr Cadabam M Ramesh, Chairman of the Cadabam’s Group, realised that their potential and talents were unexplored as their lives became more and more focused on treatment and recovery. With ANVESHA, they get an opportunity and showcase their talents.

ANVESHA Talents meet was started in 2007. Every year, Cadabam’s Group organises this event in the month of November, which also happens to be the month of anniversary celebrations. Residents undergoing rehabilitation in various psycho-social rehabilitation centres across the state are invited to the event and are awarded for their talent at the end of the program.

A carnival of world-class movies using cinema as a medium to guide behavioural modification and therapy.

Films offer a vivid and enchanting experience as well as reflect and depict society and its culture. Cinemas are more than just an entertainment medium – they can be thought-provoking and awaken people to bring social changes.

Watching a movie with conscious awareness is an experience similar to guided visualisation. The magical effect it can bring is more than any other storytelling medium. Moreover, using films as tools is consistent with the traditional aims and methods of psychotherapy. The situations and narratives in the film can become the basis for discussions before, during and after the viewing. This is the rationale behind Cadabam’s Film Festival.

The Cadabam’s Film Festival is wholly organised by the group of Cadabam’s residents guided by the counsellor.

A fundamental therapy using cinema as an aid to help in the journey towards mental health recovery.

With the resounding success of organising Film Festivals for therapeutic purposes, the Cadabam’s team surged ahead in organising a workshop on REEL THERAPY guided by professionals trained in using movies for therapy.

In Reel therapy patients are encouraged to watch films with protagonists or storylines which deal with issues similar to their illnesses. This helps prompt emotional breakthroughs in patients as they see their challenges play out through the character. Movies can help the patients understand themselves better and offers inspiration and hope to them.

A hostel facility to help substantially rehabilitated residents build up their skills and ability to return to normal life, friends, family, work and hobbies.

AAKANSHA offers hostel facilities for substantially rehabilitated residents who are functional. The rehabilitated residents are provided a supportive atmosphere to help build up their self-confidence as well as their skills and ability to face society post reintegration.

Episodes of relapse can be quite tough for families. Therefore, the residents who have almost recovered are encouraged to live an independent life at AAKANSHA, the centre for supported living. Here, the residents stay under the care of Cadabam’s team of psychiatrists and psychologists who regularly interact with them to prepare them to go back to their family and society.

Alankritha works with the aim to channelise the creativity and talent of the residents to develop marketable handicrafts.

Our in-house venture, Alankrita was set up with the objective of enabling residents to involve in meaningful and purposeful activities and channelise their inherent creative talent to produce marketable handicrafts. Our therapists work with residents who suffer from a mentally, developmentally or emotionally disabling condition and help them to maintain and recover their daily activities. The goal is to enable our residents to have independent, productive and satisfying lives.

Certification programs are designed to boost personal development as well as career prospects as a mental healthcare professional.

• Nursing

Cadabams is a centre for training in Psychiatry and Mental healthcare  for Graduates of Nursing before they are formally certified to practice. Till date, about 2750 students of Nursing have been formally trained and certified every year in Mental Health Nursing. Cadabams was recognised by the Karnataka State Nursing Board to impart training in psychiatry and mental health to B.Sc, GNM and PBSc students studying in various colleges across the state.

• Psychology & Psychiatric Social Work

Cadabams is also an accredited centre for observership and internship training of graduate and postgraduate students of Psychology from five Universities in Bangalore and South India for the past six years. We also provide training in Clinical Psychology and Psychiatric Social Work for postgraduate students of the relevant streams. Every year, more than 150 students of postgraduate courses in psychology get oriented and trained in relevant aspects of clinical psychology and rehabilitation.

• Certificate Courses

Cadabams, as a part of a larger initiative to spread quality education in the field of Mental Health Care, has introduced the “Post Graduate Certificate Course in Clinical Psychology” – a three-month full-time course with hands-on clinical experience for postgraduate Psychology students.
There is a need for clinical exposure in psychology, in order to consolidate the theoretical and academic learning. It is best done in the clinical environment of a mental health institute. This cadre of professionals is needed to fulfil the acute shortage of trained personnel in the mental healthcare field.

Our BPO program offers vocational therapy to enable residents to get back to their professional vocation, contribute to society, regain confidence in a work environment. The objective of our BPO therapy centre is to help residents with the aftercare process. This will help prevent any relapses and help them adjust to the real world as well. There are many schemes that are coming up and they are looking to fill up vacancies for other residents.