Manas works both at the demand and supply end of a community’s mental health needs continuum in a non hospital setting. 

Manas has already engaged in multiple awareness generation programs via community programs and social forums, multimedia campaigns, policy advocacy and partnerships with citizen sector organizations, corporate entities, and schools. These activities are instrumental in integrating mental health concerns into general health concerns of the society and creating a demand for mental health care through identification of concerns. 

Simultaneously Manas is supplying mental health resources by creating a system of accessible mental health support within existing institutions by training professionals, students, parents and lay persons on various aspects of mental health and management.

Over the last 10 years we faced and surmounted many obstacles. Few being the shame, stigma and isolation attached to mental health. These obstacles further solidified our vision of viewing mental health though a positive lens and we began promoting mental health as an essential plug in component within the society’s overall well-being. 

Our approach thus promotes a strong psychosocial base in which the focus is on hope, empowerment and meaningful existence of individuals and communities.

We understand mental health needs as diverse and they span a wide spectrum of ages, social contexts and family structures. Manas attempts to address these diverse mental health needs with a multidisciplinary team based approach.

Through multimedia awareness campaigns, policy advocacy and partnerships with citizen sector organizations, corporate entities, and schools, Monica Kumar is creating a social market for mental health care in India. In doing so, Monica is integrating mental health into the psyche and experience of a society where mental illness is typically stigmatized and misunderstood. Her main area of work is with youth & women. Monica is taking mental health outside the confines of the medical arena and creating an aspiration for general mental wellbeing. A trained clinical psychologist, Monica has transformed her fundamental clinical practice into a multifaceted program which is creating both a demand and a supply for mental health care in our country.

Dr. Amiya Banerjee

Trustee and Psychiatrist

Dr. Amiya Banerjee completed his Diploma in Psychiatry from NIMHANS, Bangalore and his M.D. Psychiatry from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi. At Manas, he has contributed to the integration of psychological and biological approaches to mental health care. The patients treated by him are evaluated and managed in close collaboration with the Clinical Psychologist and the Child Guidance Team. In teaching, he helps the trainee bridge the seeming mind-body and Psychiatry-Psychology dualism.

Mr. Naveen Kumar 

Trustee & Psychologist

Manas Team

 All the employees put their efforts to enhance the functioning of Manas and share their work. The work culture at Manas is very healthy & joyful.

Alima Ahmad, Project Officer- She has completed her Masters in Social Work from Jamia Millia Islamia with specialization in developmental studies. She has approx three years of work experience in the NGO sector and state govt bodies. She is responsible for the project reporting, planning & implementation. She also assists Manas in day to day documentation work and fund raising. Her knowledge in the domain is very good. She has the ability of meeting deadlines without compromising on quality of work. Her interpersonal skills make her an excellent team  member.

Harleen Kaur, Psychologist- She has completed her Masters in Psychology with specialization in counselling from Amity University and possesses approx three years of work experience as a Psychologist. She is responsible for the overall coordination, management & implementation of various community outreach programmes. Along with the same her responsibilities also include mental health assessment and counseling sessions. Harleen is a dynamic team worker with excellent observational and managerial skills.

Ishnita Nayantara Keskar, Psychologist- She has completed her Masters in Psychology from with specialization in clinical from Jamia Millia Islamia. She assists in the implementation of Mental Health Unit programme at Nirmal Chhaya Complex. Currently she is managing Children Home for Girls at Nirmal Chhaya. She is self motivated, takes initiative and has high level of energy. She possesses excellent Influencing, leading, negotiating and delegating abilities.

 Ira Gupta, Psychologist- She has completed her Masters in Psychology from University of Delhi, North Campus with specialization in clinical psychology. She is involved in conducting mental health assessments, providing individual counseling, along with planning and conducting group sessions across various initiatives. She is a dedicated worker, an active participant who is motivated to learn and grow.

Irum khan, Psychologist- She has completed her Masters in applied Psychology from from Jamia Millia Islamia with specialization in clinical psychology. She assists in the implementation of Mental Health Unit programme at Nirmal Chhaya Complex. Currently she is managing Children Home for Girls at Nirmal Chhaya. She is self-motivated, takes initiative and has high level of energy. She possesses excellent Influencing from others experiences.

Satyadhar Dwivedi, Clinical Psychologist- He is an M.Phil in Medical & Social Psychology from the Institute of Behavioral & Medical Sciences; Raipur (Chhatisgarh).He possesses expertise in the field of social research. Currently he is associated with Manas in the Mental Health Unit project at Boys’ Home, Lajpat Nagar. He is a strategic & creative thinker and a good communicator as well as a good listener. He acquires excellent problem solving and decision making skills.

Seena Michael, Social Worker- She has completed her Masters in Social Work from Christ University, Bangalore. She is responsible for the implementation of Mental Health Unit project at Boys’ Home, Lajpat Nagar. She assists in conducting mental health assessment, individual & group sessions with the residents. She believes in the virtues of hard work and perseverance. She is open to learning from other’s experiences and grows both personally and professionally.

Pooja Khera, Psychologist- She has completed her masters in psychology (Psycho-social clinical studies) from Ambedkar University. She is assisting in implementation of an outreach program at Nirmal Chhaya Complex. She is involved in conducting mental health assessments, individual counseling as well as family counseling to the residents. She is a keen observer, diligent and enthusiastic to learn.

Interns

Midhat Zaidi- She is doing her Masters in Social Work (Sem III) from Jamia Millia Islamia and visits Manas on every Thursdays & Fridays. She is undertaking a need assessment project of Okhla slums to assess the mental health morbidity amongst the slum dwellers; she is supervised by the Manas team as and when required. She is a lively person who works with full zeal and dedication and is quite open towards new learning.

Shreya Behani- She is doing her Masters in Psychology (final yr) from Amity University. She assists the team on every Thursday, Friday & Saturday. She has successfully undertaken & completed a project on the career profiling of disadvantaged youth of Delhi/NCR for an NGO called Vidya & Child. She also assists the team for conducting visits at various NGOs and conducting psychometric tests. She can do multitasking and has very good organizational skills.

Vikas Sehra- He is doing Masters in Applied Psychology from the University of Delhi South Campus. He is involved in the Mental Health Unit project at Boys’ Home, Lajpat Nagar and assists the team on every Tuesday, Thursday & Saturday. He also assists in the data collection for the research project of Okhla slums. He is very dedicated and determined towards his work.