Fwd: 30th Dec 2018 deadline for State Mental Health Authority Tamil Nadu

[Vaishnavi Jayakumar]

Hi everyone,

The Tamil Nadu Health Department has made amends (for the incomplete call earlier with deadline of 24th November for members of the State Mental Health Authority) with today's ad below. [Context at end of message.] 

Text of ad in newspaper dated 5 December 2018 follows, form attached

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TAMIL NADU STATE MENTAL HEALTH AUTHORITY 

Institute of Mental Health Campus, Medavakkam Tank Road,Kilpauk,Chennai-600 010 

Tamil Nadu State Mental Health Authority invites applications from 

• Two persons who have or have had mental illness
  
• Two persons representing care givers of persons with mental illness or organisations representing caregivers 
• Two persons representing non-governmental organizations which provide services to persons with mental illness 

for nomination as members of the Tamil Nadu State Mental Health Authority, constituted under the Mental Healthcare Act, 2017. Copy of the Mental Healthcare Act, 2017 is available on the egazette in the following link http://www.egazette.nic.in/writereaddata/2017/175248.pdf 

Interested applicants may visit www.tnhealth.org for details on eligibility conditions,application and terms and conditions. 

The filled in applications, along with copies of certificates / documents, may be submitted by post/speed post/by hand to Chief Executive Officer in the above address. Last date for submission of application and documents 5.00 PM 30th December, 2018.  

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After flouting rules,  Tamil Nadu mental health body to make amends

newindianexpress.com/cities/chennai/2018/nov/29/after-flouting-rules-mental-health-body-to-make-amends-1904738.amp


Sushmitha Ramakrishnan
29th November 2018

CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu State Mental Health Authority (TNSMHA) has flouted the Mental Health Care Act 2017, by omitting the requirement of nominating stakeholders including mental health consumers, family or carers and NGOs working in the field, as its members.

According to the Act, the authority should nominate two persons each, from the three categories, in addition to a mental health professional, psychiatric social worker, clinical psychologist and mental health nurse with 15 years of experience in the field.

While the State Mental Health Authority earlier this year, had posted an advertisement inviting professionals to apply by November 23, they had left out consumers, carers and NGOs. A fresh advertisement was not issued even after the deadline, even though officials were intimated, said activists.
“The authority will understand problems related to mental health better, when those affected by it are a part of it,” said Punitha Suresh, who works at a day-care for people with mental illnesses.

Speaking to Express, J Radhakrishnan, the head of the State Mental Health Authority, and the principal secretary to the Health department, admitted that it was an error and promised that a new advertisement would be issued soon. 

He explained that mental health professionals were appointed before the rules were formed and added, “We will cancel all the existing appointments made for mental health professionals and issue a new advertisement inviting applications from all stake-holders.”