Srinagar, May 8 (NVI): The Jammu and Kashmir administration is working on a comprehensive long-term rehabilitation plan for victims of drug abuse, with emphasis on treatment, social reintegration and livelihood support to prevent relapse after recovery, officials said on Friday.
Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo chaired a high-level meeting of senior officers to review the rehabilitation framework prepared by the Social Welfare Department in consultation with various departments and stakeholders.
According to officials, the proposed plan envisages a structured three-year rehabilitation model aimed at treatment and stabilization of victims, followed by reintegration into society, livelihood generation, post-care monitoring and social inclusion.
The meeting was attended by Additional Chief Secretary Finance Shailendra Kumar, Principal Secretary Home Chandraker Bharti, Commissioner Secretary Social Welfare Sarmad Hafeez and other senior officers.
Dulloo stressed the need for an effective and practical rehabilitation strategy capable of delivering tangible results on the ground. He directed that the framework be further refined through consultations with all stakeholders, particularly professionals from the Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (IMHANS) and Psychiatry Departments of Government Medical Colleges.
Highlighting the role of mentors in the rehabilitation process, the Chief Secretary said trained patient mentors should be identified and provided specialised training at IMHANS. He suggested creation of a dedicated pool of 30 to 40 mentors in each district to support the long-term rehabilitation programme.
“He emphasized that the mentors should have clearly defined responsibilities based on the needs of individual patients and an appropriate incentive mechanism should also be devised,” officials said.
Dulloo also stressed convergence of various government schemes to provide livelihood opportunities, skill development and educational support to rehabilitated individuals. He directed the National Informatics Centre (NIC) to develop a dedicated digital portal for monitoring the rehabilitation process and ensuring long-term stabilization of affected persons.
Additional Chief Secretary Finance Shailendra Kumar suggested categorisation of patients according to severity of addiction so that rehabilitation interventions can be tailored accordingly. He also proposed exploring Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funding and utilisation of psychologists available in different departments to strengthen counselling services.
Principal Secretary Home Chandraker Bharti said the rehabilitation structure should be designed after assessing ground-level requirements and should address the specific challenges faced by victims and their families instead of replicating conventional government schemes.
During the meeting, Commissioner Secretary Social Welfare Sarmad Hafeez gave a detailed presentation on the proposed framework and said Jammu and Kashmir is emerging as the first region in the country to work on a structured long-term rehabilitation model for drug abuse victims.
He said the strategy also envisages empanelment of patient mentors for continuous counselling and emotional support, besides establishing monitoring mechanisms at the Union Territory, divisional and district levels for effective implementation of the programme.(NVI)
