From 25th to 27th
February 2013, Koshish (a TISS project) and NISD organized a 3 day
residential workshop for the officials of Department of Women and Child
Development, Maharashtra (Ministry of Women and
Child Development), Government of India. These officials work
with children, women and Beggary institutions. The theme for the workshop
was 'Rehabilitation' and it aimed to discuss and deliberate various
aspects of rehabilitation in the context of custodial populations.
Kripa Mumbai was invited to
conduct sessions on ‘Deaddiction – Issues and Challenges faced in
Rehabilitation' and for a panel discussion on 'Issues and Challenges'. The
resource person highlighted the fact that one of the biggest challenges faced
in rehabilitation of the custodial population and otherwise is social stigma
and discrimination. As addiction is a widely misunderstood disease, the people
afflicted by it face extreme stigma, during their active addiction and even
during recovery. Addicts who also have other discrediting problems attached to
them like 'homelessness', 'poverty', 'being a minority', living with HIV/AIDS,
or being a woman etc, are faced with even more stigma. The possible ways to
address the challenges one face while dealing with addicts and treating them is
to have appropriate referral systems established for the treatment of addiction
and to exhibit a more tolerant and understanding attitude towards this
population.
Speakers and workers from other
areas of work were also invited for the same, like authorities working with
elderly, prisoners etc.
The session was well-appreciated
by the officials, as most were not aware of the 'disease concept' and the fact
that timely and effective treatment could be beneficial. Kripa Foundation
helpline numbers were disseminated to the audience.
Submitted by
Ms. Krishna Iyer
Collage and writeup
Mozen H.
