Jaipur: The health department has invited private service providers to operate and manage a round-the-clock Tele-MANAS mental health network to expand counselling, specialist consultation and referral services across the state, including remote and underserved areas. The firm which was operating it earlier has completed its tenure.“The facilities was started in 2023 and since then a private firm was operating and its tenure has ended and it was already given extension of some months,” said Dr Yogesh Kumar Satija, superintendent, psychiatry centre, SMS Medical College.A department official said the private agency will run Tele-MANAS operations at the mentoring cell in Jaipur and state cells in Jaipur and Jodhpur. The service will offer 24×7 Tier-1 tele-counselling, specialist audio and video consultations, follow-up care, referrals to higher facilities and coordination with district mental health programme teams.An official said, “The model will go beyond a basic helpline by covering psychosocial support, mental health assessment, substance-use concerns, suicide-risk screening, triage, crisis escalation and specialist referrals. Counsellors will provide basic counselling and triage but will not prescribe or recommend medical treatment.”The official said the selected provider will hire counsellors, consultants, clinical psychologists, psychiatric social workers, psychiatric care nurses, project coordinators, data entry operators and support staff as per Tele-MANAS norms. It will also handle staff payments, training, audits, accreditation, clinical protocols and capacity-building.Beneficiaries will access the service through helpline number 14416. Calls will be routed via an IVRS-based audio system with an automatic callback facility. A trained counsellor will first attend the caller, with each call expected to last 15 to 30 minutes. Each counsellor is likely to handle 30 to 50 calls per shift.Cases requiring higher care will be escalated to psychiatrists, clinical psychologists, psychologists, psychiatric social workers or psychiatric care nurses. Specialist consultations will be offered through audio and video platforms, with in-person referrals where needed.The programme will follow the national Tele-MANAS framework, with NIMHANS Bengaluru as the apex centre, PGIMER Chandigarh as regional coordinator and SMS Medical College, Jaipur, as mentoring institute.
