Face2News/Chandigarh

Union Territory Child Protection Society, under the aegis of Department of Social Welfare, Women & Child Development, Chandigarh Administration, in collaboration with Chandigarh Institute for Transformation, Department of Planning & Finance, organized a Training Program for Counsellors on Mental Health Issues of Children in Schools and Child Care Institutions (CCI) at U.T. State Guest House, Sector-6, Chandigarh. 

The training program was attended by 61 counsellors working in Schools and Child care Institutions of U.T., Chandigarh with an aim to enhance the understanding of mental health issues, expanding awareness and strengthening the ability to respond to children with more compassion and competence. 

The keynote address was delivered by Dr. Palika Arora, PCS, Director, Department of Social Welfare, Women & Child Development, Chandigarh Administration, in the presence of field experts attending the program included representatives from GMCH-32, Dr. Karuna Singh, Play Therapist and Dr. Manreet, Clinical Psychologist; Ms. Bisman Ahuja, Program Manager, UTCPS, Sh. M.S. Kang, Social Safety and Protection Expert and Sh. Bhupinder Bhardwaj, Operation Expert from Chandigarh Institute for Transformation. 

In her keynote address, Dr. Palika Arora emphasized that children today face increasing emotional and psychological challenges such as exam stress, anxiety and social pressures, which often manifest as behavioural issues. She highlighted that the counsellors being trained under this programme may act as master trainers, who will further disseminate this knowledge and skills among teachers and other stakeholders in schools and Child Care Institutions to identify children with underlying issues. She underlined the crucial role of counsellors as empathetic listeners and stressed that early identification & timely intervention are essential for nurturing resilience, confidence and overall well-being among children. 

The programme featured expert sessions by Dr. Karuna, Play Therapist, Department of Psychiatry, GMCH-32, on childhood and adolescent psychiatric disorders, including symptoms, causes, risk and protective factors, and their management. Dr. Manreet, Clinical Psychologist, Department of Psychiatry, GMCH-32, conducted a session on counselling and intervention strategies for counsellors working with children. The session incorporated group discussions and role plays. 

A session on health, nutrition and well-being of children was delivered by Dr. Rachna Srivastava, Health, Nutrition and Well-being Expert, Chandigarh Institute for Transformation, highlighting the importance of holistic development of children. Awareness regarding National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) certified skill development courses run by the Department of Social Welfare was provided by Sh. Sushant Kalia, Training Assistant, CCWDC.