For the first time, the government of Uttar Pradesh will provide trauma-informed counselling to children who lost their parents during the Covid pandemic.
Trauma-informed counselling is a special care treatment in which trained counsellors engage with a depressed person in a manner for an effective treatment process through tailored interventions which leaves no scope for retraumatisation of the individual.
Manoj Rai, director of women and child development department, said, “There is a grave need now, more than ever, to stand with the affected children throughout their life, so that they can lead a quality life and get over their plight.”
Decided to reach out children through trauma-informed therapy
The Uttar Pradesh Mukhya Mantri Bal Sewa Yojana was launched in June 2021. Keeping the mental health of children who have lost one or both parents to Covid-19 in mind, the government decided to reach out to them through trauma-informed therapy.
More than 11,000 such children have been identified under the scheme. “With the support of UNICEF and Mind Piper (mental health services provider), four counsellors from the District Child Protection Unit (DCPU) and one-stop centres were trained in each district to identify the trauma cases and help them overcome the grief and post-traumatic stress disorder. In total, over 300 counsellors were trained for the purpose across 75 districts,” informed Rai.
Following the training, these counsellors visited the children’s homes and provided trauma-informed counselling. Some children were found to be highly traumatised during the May field trip. Specialized training is being provided to 40 counsellors who assist these children in order to provide counselling to them.
