Division of Adolescent Mental Health

Adolescence is a critical period marked by physical, emotional, and psychological changes. SPNIWCD recognizes the significance of addressing mental health issues among adolescents. The Division of Adolescent Mental Health emphasizes promoting positive mental health, preventing mental disorders, and providing support and interventions for adolescents facing mental health challenges. By collaborating with stakeholders and implementing evidence-based strategies, it aims to foster resilience and well-being among adolescents.

Recognizing the critical importance of mental well-being during the formative years, this Division promotes various activities including training / capacity building and counselling services at promoting mental health awareness, providing support services, and fostering resilience among adolescents. Promoting the psychological well-being and development of children, including those with special needs or behavioural difficulties is one of its core activities. Thus, it also takes care of inclusion of Divyang Children. It collaborates with stakeholders to develop skill-building programs tailored to the needs of Divyang children. These initiatives aim to enhance the independence, self-confidence, and employability factors among adolescents, enabling them to lead fulfilling lives and contribute to society.

Also, through its extension units i.e. Adolescent Guidance Service Centre, Child Guidance Centre SPNIWCD provides counselling, guidance, and support services specifically tailored to the needs of adolescents.

Pure Academic Endeavour: Advanced Diploma in Child Guidance and Counselling

The Advanced Diploma in Child Guidance and Counselling was launched in 2005 at SPNIWCD, Headquarters with a vision to create professional and personal growth opportunities for people working with children and child-related systems. The course is targeted for post-graduate scholars from the field of Social Work, Psychology, Child Development, Community Resource Management, Development Communication Extension and Special Education.

The course has been successfully running for the past fifteen years and has gained affiliation from Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University (GGSIPU) and has been certified by Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI). Similar Course has been started in Regional Centre, Guwahati in affiliation with Gauhati University in 2021. Also, efforts are being directed to initiate ADCGC at other Regional Centres namely Bengaluru, Indore, Mohali and Lucknow.

The Advanced Diploma course covers three basic pivots of working and planning services for children, namely, ‘Developmental’, ‘Ecological’ and ‘Rights perspective’. It is an intensive skill based, holistic and learner- friendly ten-month programme that equips the learner with the skill set of working with children and their families in Individual, Group and Community Setting.

Equally significant part of the course is to facilitate the learner to explore and evolve attitudes, values and beliefs that facilitate work with children as mental health professionals.

The pedagogy of the course heavily rests on experiential learning methodology with concrete field experiences, reflective discussions, and analytical reviews of services, paradigms and social realities coupled with hands-on experiences of working in the field to hone skills of assessments, counseling and varied individual, group and community interventions.