The Jammu and Kashmir government is set to roll out a comprehensive long-term rehabilitation programme for victims of drug abuse, officials said on Saturday.
Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo chaired a high-level meeting to deliberate on the rehabilitation plan prepared by the Social Welfare Department in consultation with various departments and stakeholders.
During the meeting, the Chief Secretary stressed the need for a practical and result-oriented rehabilitation strategy capable of delivering tangible outcomes on the ground. He directed that the plan be further refined through extensive consultations with all concerned departments and civil society stakeholders, particularly professionals from the Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (IMHANS) and Psychiatry Departments of Government Medical Colleges.
Highlighting the importance of patient mentors in the rehabilitation process, Dulloo said the mentors should possess basic qualifications and undergo specialised training modules at IMHANS. He called for the creation of a dedicated pool of trained resource persons, with at least 30 to 40 mentors identified in each district to support the long-term rehabilitation programme.
He said a cadre of committed and professionally trained mentors would form the backbone of the rehabilitation initiative. Their responsibilities, he added, should be clearly defined according to the individual needs of patients to ensure effective engagement and sustained reintegration into society. He also directed officials to devise an incentive mechanism to motivate the mentors.
Dulloo further emphasised the need to integrate government schemes and resources to provide livelihood opportunities for rehabilitated individuals, including skill development for self-employment and facilitating their return to schools and colleges. He also directed the NIC to develop a dedicated digital portal for continuous monitoring of the rehabilitation process and long-term stabilisation of affected individuals.
Calling for a comprehensive framework with clearly defined roles for every department and stakeholder, Dulloo asked officials to work out the financial implications and expected outcomes over a specified period to ensure effective implementation.
Additional Chief Secretary Finance Shailendra Kumar emphasised categorising patients according to the severity of addiction so that rehabilitation interventions could be tailored accordingly. He also suggested exploring Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funding and other government financial mechanisms for successful execution of the programme.
Kumar further advised identification and utilisation of psychologists available across departments, including Higher Education and Health, to strengthen counselling and rehabilitation services.
Commissioner Secretary, Social Welfare Department, Sarmad Hafeez gave a detailed presentation on the preliminary rehabilitation plan prepared after consultations with stakeholders and departments.
He informed the meeting that Jammu and Kashmir is emerging as the first region in the country to work on a structured long-term rehabilitation model focusing not only on treatment but also on stabilisation, social reintegration and livelihood support to prevent relapse.
Outlining the proposed three-year rehabilitation framework, Hafeez said the plan is based on treatment and stabilisation, followed by reintegration, livelihood generation, post-care monitoring and social inclusion.
He added that the strategy envisages empanelment of patient mentors for continuous counselling, guidance and emotional support. He also explained the proposed monitoring and supervision mechanism at the Union Territory, divisional and district levels to ensure effective implementation and achievement of objectives without deviation.The Commissioner Secretary also presented the framework for post-care monitoring and livelihood support through various government schemes besides detailing timelines for different phases of the rehabilitation exercise.
