ABOUT US

WAPR Indian Chapter
About Us

The Indian Chapter of the World Association for Psychosocial Rehabilitation (WAPR (IC)) was started in 1989 by Late Dr M. Sarada Menon, the ever enthusiastic lifeline of WAPR in India. The first president of WAPR (IC) was Late Dr P. S. Gopinath. He was instrumental in developing the basic foundation for psychosocial rehabilitation in India.

WAPR (IC) has grown over the years, and its main agenda is to provide to all stakeholders a platform to voice their concerns about relevant issues concerning the long term care persons with mental illness. It also strives to pave the way for advocacy for mental health care, develop policy and create awareness about mental illness.

WAPR (IC) is currently spread across the country and has been active in training mental health professionals and conducting awareness programmes in psychosocial rehabilitation. It has conducted SIX national conferences. Apart from hosting the Tenth WAPR World Congress It also organised the 5th Asia Pacific Conference of WAPR in the year 2015 and the International Conference on PSR in the year 2019.

All the 3 Conferences were held in Bangalore.
The members of this organisation include health care professionals, consumers and their family members and other organisations working in the area of mental health. The organisation has started publishing newsletters from 2011.

The objects of the Association

  1. To establish a representative and authoritative non-governmental, national consortium whose primary responsibility shall be to strengthen medical, social and vocational rehabilitation services for the mentally ill.
  2. To serve as a voluntary national co-ordinating consultative and informational centre for existing national, regional or sub national agencies or groupings having or sharing a major concern for the rehabilitation of the mentally ill.
  3. To assist, whenever requested, in the organisation of such national, regional or sub-national bodies where such do not now exist, and to provide technical consultation.
  4. To provide national forum for a broad review and assessment of national plans,trends, programmes, and goals in the field of rehabilitation of the mentally ill.
  5. To organise or assist in the organisation of national or regional conference or congresses or special commissions.
  6. To arrange for exchange of scholars, researchers, practitioners and administrators.
  7. To strengthen collaborative programmatic efforts among national bodies, public and private, concerned with rehabilitation goals.
  8. To exchange views and information, on successful or innovative experience and experiments which can serve as models for adaptation and replication.
  9. To foster, at all levels, research projects in the field and to further training activities for disciplines and professionals serving the rehabilitation needs.
  10. To issue publication or journal to serve as a professional communication link between all segments involved in rehabilitation.
  11. To encourage educational program and the use of public media to inform the general public of the problems, needs and rights of the mentally ill and to counter stigmatizing attitudes towards the mentally ill.
  12. To publish articles, reports and papers concerned with rehabilitation. m. To provide technical assistance to governmental and private agencies, as requested, in the formulation, planning and execution of rehabilitation services.
  13. To provide speakers at symposia and congresses, as: requested.
  14. To maintain contact with and actively collaborate with such inter – governmental bodies as the W.H.O the I.L.O etc.
  15. To collaborate with non-governmental national organisations such as the Indian psychiatric Society and the Indian Association for Social Psychiatry, and International Organisations such as Rehabilitation International, the World Federation for Mental Health, the World Medical and psychiatry and other organisations in all efforts relating to the rehabilitation of the mentally ill.
  16. To foster advocacy efforts designed to assist mentally ill or mentally restored persons in their physical, psychological and vocational adjustment to society and to stimulate public and private efforts to provide, as needed, financial support, housing and employment opportunities.
  17. To assist in the implementation of resolutions and action policies adopted by governmental and inter-governmental agencies such as those defining the rights of the handicapped.
  18. To encourage the involvement of non-professionals in the cause of the mentally ill and facilitate the formulation of self-help groups.
  19. To implement and execute the policies and formulations of the World Association for Psychosocial Rehabilitation as and when applicable.
  20. To create a viable network of rehabilitation personnel to encourage and facilitate the training of professionals and the continuing education of trained personnel by organising or stimulating the organisation of workshops, seminars, lectures etc. on rehabilitative strategies for the mentally ill.