Chennai: Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) commissioner G S Sameeran on Wednesday opened a mental health wellness centre at Ripon Building to more than 20,000 of its employees.The centre, ‘Mind Mantra’, has been established by GCC in collaboration with the Credai Chennai Foundation and Dhruthi Trust. The initiative aims to improve the mental and emotional well-being of corporation employees and encourage them to seek professional help for stress and other psychological concerns.The trust has launched a dedicated helpline for GCC employees — +91 80314 51918 — available from 5pm to 11pm. Employees across GCC zones and departments can reach out to book appointments, said Jaya Venkatesh, programme coordinator of Dhruthi Trust. Free mental health counselling by psychologists and counsellors from the NGO will be provided on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and a coordinator team would be available on other days.GCC city health officer Jagadeesan said the initiative aims to help employees cope with work pressure. “This initiative is to improve the workflow. Officials can approach the psychologist and get help,” he said.The initiative will also include mental health awareness workshops for GCC staff. Jaya said that they have some clients, and are aiming to address the stigma surrounding mental health. “People across generations are working in GCC. We understand that it might be a taboo topic, but we are working towards breaking it.,” she said.
