‘Youth Center’ has been envisaged under the able guidance and leadership of Hon’ble Director Prof. Ravi Kant and Dean (Academics), Prof. Manoj Gupta in the year 2020 and is running as an in-campus facility at AIIMS Rishikesh since March, 2020. The goal is to make available a youth-friendly, easily accessible and non-stigmatizing environment for the support and wellness of medical & paramedical students as well as young resident doctors at AIIMS Rishikesh. The Youth Center at AIIMS Rishikesh provides wellness services, counselling and mental healthcare education to its students and residents. The elementary idea of establishing a youth wellness centre is to provide a space where young minds are encouraged to communicate, understand and establish the importance of mental healthcare needs in one’s life. Youth Center thus serves to the needs of students who may be experiencing concerns related to psychological health, substance use, sexual and gender identity, body image, etc. At the centre, wellness and counselling services are provided to those in need and confidentiality in all manners is ensured. It is conveniently located in the residential complex near the hostel campus where students can approach with ease.
The timings of centre are such as to take care of the busy schedules of the student population. Additionally, a 24×7 on-call mobile phone service is available beyond the routine hours to have flexibility for its users. A team of mental health professionals in collaboration with Department of Psychiatry provides the healthcare and wellness services to the students. The center focuses on promoting and maintaining psychological, emotional and social well-being of all the budding healthcare providers and is committed to their varied psychological healthcare needs.
Address & Location: Youth Center , Block-Building no. 64 Type I Qtr, Floor-Ground floor Hostel Campus Area AIIMS Rishikesh, Contact: yc@aiimsrishikesh.edu.in
- Provision of youth-friendly, easily-accessible, barrier-free and individualized point of care for the students
- Provision of coordinated holistic psychosocial care and pre-emptive dealing of the impending mental healthcare issues in a collaborative manner
- Improving overall mental health, development of holistic well-being and strengthening of resilience among the student population.
- Besides detailed interviews, standardized psychological tools and varied assessments are done in routine to recognize and assist students with emerging psychosocial healthcare concerns.
- Provision of appropriate services and targeted interventions like counselling, supportive therapies, life skills education, etc. in a non-stigmatizing and easily accessible environment.
- Stress management and suicide prevention services
- Dissemination of awareness regarding psychosocial health, general health and wellness
- Recruitment and training of peers and/or student mentors to develop an in-campus support network
- Collaborating with different departments at AIIMS Rishikesh and other appropriate outside agencies for the welfare of students physical, mental and social wellbeing