BENGALURU: The Department of Collegiate Education is in the process of orienting principals and mental health safety coordinators of government first grade colleges on various aspects of student mental health protection. The initiative follows the guidelines issued by the Supreme Court on safeguarding students’ mental health, the Mental Health Policy, and the circular issued by the Karnataka government on the same.
On the implementation front, the department is working in collaboration with the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (Nimhans) and regional partner institutions, conducting a series of one-day orientation programmes at institutions across Karnataka.
The first programme, titled Abhaya, was organised on August 11 at the Nimhans Convention Centre in Bengaluru in collaboration with Government Arts College, Hassan. Experts from Nimhans conducted sessions on students’ mental health, myths and facts related to mental health, developing institutional support systems, suicide prevention, tele-support services and digital mental health resources.
In Kalaburagi, a Belagutirali Baduku workshop was organised on September 2 at the Government College (Autonomous, Kalaburagi) auditorium. The third programme, titled Jeevanapreeti: Baalige Spoorthi, was conducted on September 7 at the Karnataka State Higher Education Academy, Dharwad, for Principals and Mental Health Safety Coordinators of Government First Grade Colleges under the Dharwad region.
Across the three orientation programmes, more than 420 government first grade colleges were involved and over 800 principals and mental health safety coordinators received orientation on recognising and responding to student mental health concerns, strengthening institutional support systems, suicide prevention, mental health promotion, available tele-support services and the use of digital mental health resources.