States » NorthPosted at: Nov 2 2026 5:54PM


Haryana rolls out SAATH project to build mental health support network in 200 govt schools

Panchkula, Nov 2 (UNI) Haryana will deploy trained counsellors and teachers in 200 government schools under its SAATH Project to identify and address mental health concerns among students of Classes VI to XII, Additional Chief Secretary, Health and Family Welfare, Dr. Sumita Misra, said on Monday.
The school-based initiative, being implemented by the Health and Family Welfare Department in coordination with the School Education Department, aims to create an integrated support system for adolescents facing emotional and psychological challenges. It will address concerns including examination stress, bullying, social isolation, depression, digital addiction, substance-use risks and warning signs of self-harm and suicidal ideation.
Dr. Misra said the project would bring teachers, parents, counsellors, clinical psychologists and psychiatrists together in a coordinated chain of care, helping students receive timely support and professional intervention whenever required.
The programme will adopt age-specific approaches. For students of Classes VI to VIII, the focus will be on emotional awareness, self-confidence, puberty-related changes, peer rejection, communication gaps with parents and early signs of excessive screen exposure. Teachers will be trained to recognise warning signs such as persistent sadness, irritability, social withdrawal, declining academic performance and reluctance to attend school.
For students of Classes IX to XII, the programme will address board-examination and entrance-test anxiety, career uncertainty, fear of failure, emotional exhaustion, unhealthy eating patterns and relationship difficulties. A key priority will be recognising signs of self-harm and ensuring urgent referral to mental health professionals.
At the core of SAATH is a five-stage identification and referral mechanism, beginning with classroom observation and extending to specialist mental health care.
Class teachers will observe behavioural changes, communicate supportively with students and record interventions in a dedicated SAATH register. Student Health Ambassadors and a designated SAATH Coordinator will promote peer awareness and help students approach school personnel for assistance.
Health Department counsellors and psychology-qualified teachers will provide counselling, screening and guided support within their professional competencies. Students requiring further assessment will be referred to designated AFLC clinics for evaluation by clinical psychologists, while those needing medical intervention will be sent to Mental Health Clinics for psychiatric assessment, treatment and follow-up.
The referral system is designed to ensure that students needing more specialised help are not left to depend solely on school-level support.
To operationalise the initiative, the Health Department has trained 122 counsellors. They will coordinate with two designated teachers in each of the 200 selected schools, creating a network of around 400 trained educators.
The School Education Department will integrate these personnel into the daily school environment and provide structured, level-based training through the ECHO platform and official digital channels, including YouTube.
Level 1 modules will cover basic child mental health and early warning signs among students of Classes VI to VIII. Level 2 will focus on complex adolescent concerns, substance-use prevention and advanced referral protocols for Classes IX to XII.
The training will emphasise confidentiality, child safeguarding and stigma-free communication.
The project will also involve parents through Parent-Teacher Meetings. Families will be sensitised to changes in a child’s mood, sleep, academic performance and social behaviour, and encouraged to maintain supportive, non-judgemental communication at home.
Dr. Misra said the coordinated approach would help identify psychological difficulties early and ensure that students receive appropriate assistance before problems become more serious.
Dr. Brahm Deep, Director of Mental Health in Haryana, said early identification and timely intervention could prevent psychological distress in childhood from escalating into serious mental illness.
Over the next year, the project aims to reach every student of Classes IX to XII in the 200 identified schools. Its longer-term vision is to embed preventive mental health care in Haryana’s government school system by linking awareness, screening, counselling and specialist treatment through a coordinated support network.
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