What is Tele-MANAS?

About Tele-MANAS:

• The Tele Mental Health Assistance and Networking Across States (Tele-MANAS) initiative was launched by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in October 2022.
• It aims to provide free tele-mental health services all over the country round the clock, particularly topeople in remote or underserved areas.
• Tele-MANAS will be organised in a two-tier system:
  • Tier 1 comprises state Tele-MANAS cells, which include trained counsellors and mental health specialists.
  • Tier 2 will comprise specialists at the District Mental Health Programme (DMHP)/Medical College resources for physical consultation and/or e-Sanjeevani for audio-visual consultation.
• Currently, there are 51 operational Tele-MANAS cells functioning across all 36 States and UTs, offering services in 20 different languages. 
• A toll-free, 24/7 helpline number (14416) is available as part of the initiative, allowing callers to select the language of choice for availing services. The service is also accessible at 1-800-891-4416.
• This call will be an Interactive Voice Response system (IVRS) based audio call only, with a timely auto-call back approach.
• Through the automated callback service, the caller will first be attended to by a trained counsellor.
• Based on the level of care required, the counsellor will either provide the care needed within their capabilities or refer the caller for specialist care.
• If the caller requires specialized care, the call will be handled by a mental health specialist (clinical psychologist, psychiatric social worker, psychiatric nurse, or psychiatrist). This level of service will contain both audio- and video-based options.
• In case the caller requires urgent in-person intervention/complex evaluations and management, they will be referred to the nearest in-person service for a physical consultation, and/or an audio-visual consultation with a specialist will be arranged through eSanjeevani.
• These centers will range from Health and Wellness Centre (HWCs) to tertiary care centers as part of the DMHP.

Q1: Who is a clinical psychologist?

A clinical psychologist is a mental health professional with highly specialized training in the diagnosis and psychological treatment of mental, behavioral and emotional illnesses. Clinical psychologists are not technically medical doctors, but still typically follow an educational path that requires many years of study, often resulting in a doctorate degree.

Source: Ministry of Health & Family Welfare and Ministry of Defence sign MoU to set up dedicated Tele MANAS cell for armed forces