The Administrative Training Institute (ATI), Government of Nagaland, Kohima, organised a two-day training programme on “Awareness on Child Mental Health” for Government school teachers from Kohima District on May 21 and 22 at ATI, Kohima. The programme was conducted with the objective of equipping teachers with essential knowledge, practical skills, and appropriate intervention strategies to identify, understand, and address mental health concerns among school-going children.
The training underscored the pivotal role of teachers in fostering emotional well-being and facilitating early identification and intervention within educational institutions.
The sessions covered a wide range of topics, including mental health and common mental disorders, childhood mental health disorders, Psychological First Aid (PFA), core counselling skills for teachers, mental and emotional well-being of teachers, counselling skills practice and application, Child Helpline 1098, vulnerable children, and child mental health issues in Nagaland.
The resource persons for the programme included Veronica Nriame, Psychiatric Social Worker, District Mental Health Programme (DMHP), NHAK; Ketuosenou Phewhuo, Clinical Psychologist; and Neingutounuo Kulnu, Helpline Administrator, Child Helpline 1098, WCD Control Room, Nagaland.
The programme provided an interactive platform for participants to enhance their understanding of child mental health challenges and to develop supportive and responsive approaches towards students within the school environment.
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During the interactive session with the participants, the Director General, ATI and Additional Chief Secretary (Agriculture) & Agricultural Production Commissioner, V Shashank Shekhar, IAS, deliberated on the growing mental health concerns among school children and the challenges faced by teachers in addressing such issues effectively.
The Director General further emphasised the importance of integrating modern education with cultural and moral values as an essential approach towards addressing child mental health concerns in society.
Altogether 36 teachers from 16 Govt Schools of Kohima participated in the training program.
