Emergency Care and Recovery Centres (ECRCs) offer multidisciplinary, person-centred hospital-based care for homeless people with mental health issues to recover and re-enter stable housing and community living arrangements where they may pursue fulfilling lives.
Personalised Hospital Based Care
ECRCs attempt to re-imagine structures and processes of hospitals for mental health as geographies where service users can exert their ownership and participate in co-creation of a therapeutic community where people can reconnect with themselves and make personal journeys towards lives of their choosing. Crisis intervention, health services and social and psychological therapies are offered in tandem with individualised care plans that are delivered through a case management system.
THERAPEUTIC COMMUNITY
User-led initiatives such as a café, a beauty salon, a fish and vegetable stall, welcome the broader community to transact with the hospital. Children of service users and staff run around the premises, after school or during holidays, leaving imprints of their joy and companionship. Animals walk into this ecosystem sometimes, either at the behest of an interested human carer or by themselves.
RETURNING TO THE COMMUNITY: AFTERCARE
In this social architecture, as people recover, they make choices about returning back to families or communities of origin so that lives disrupted by homelessness may resume. Therapeutic relationships continue to anchor necessary continued care support post these transitions from ECRC. These include clinical continuity, cash transfers, familial relationships and social role re-formulations and so on, both at the individual and household level to arrest descent into ill-health, homelessness or re-institutionalisation.
HOMELESS COLLECTIVES
ECRCs are a space for weekly meetings among people living in or with histories of homelessness. These meetings of homeless collectives are an exercise in solidarity and shared identity which are used to initiate actions including advocacy such that their entitlements across citizenship, livelihoods and housing can be secured.
PARTNERSHIPS AND REPLICATIONS
Our core principle emphasises the co-production of knowledge, recognising that the expertise and insights of individuals and communities play a vital role in shaping effective mental health interventions. Therefore, we actively engage multiple stakeholders, including service users, community members, healthcare providers, and policymakers, in developing and implementing our models.
To ensure the scalability of our solutions, we focus on multi-stakeholder engagement, fostering collaborations and partnerships across sectors and disciplines. By leveraging the expertise and resources of diverse stakeholders, we can effectively expand our reach and impact.
Here are some of our partnerships and replications:
1. ECRC Nilgiris – Partnership with NAWA Foundation
2. ECRC Erode- Partnership with Atchayam Trust
3. ECRC Tirunelveli – Partnership with R Soya Trust
4. ECRC Madurai- Partnership with Chellamuthu Trust
To ensure the scalability of our solutions, we focus on multi-stakeholder engagement, fostering collaborations and partnerships across sectors and disciplines. By leveraging the expertise and resources of diverse stakeholders, we can effectively expand our reach and impact.
Here are some of our partnerships and replications:
1. ECRC Nilgiris – Partnership with NAWA Foundation
2. ECRC Erode- Partnership with Atchayam Trust
3. ECRC Tirunelveli – Partnership with R Soya Trust
4. ECRC Madurai- Partnership with Chellamuthu Trust
Impact
3481
people with mental illness and histories of homelessness have accessed ECRCs
92
days is the average time homeless people spend at the ECRCs before choosing a pathway to exit the hospital facility
75%
have returned to live with their families or independently in the community
40%
have found gainful employment
Stories of Hope and Resilience
I grew up without familial and social security nets and ended up in bonded labour. When I fell ill, I lost everything and became homeless. But then, the Banyan team admitted me to ECRC.
At ECRC, I found a nurturing environment that allowed me to rebuild my life. I formed meaningful relationships, took up work, and even indulged in spontaneous moments of dance.
With newfound confidence, I started a vegetable business, supported by my friends from ECRC. Through it all, ECRC remained a source of love and familiarity, helping me thrive and flourish.”
– Rosy
At ECRC, I found a nurturing environment that allowed me to rebuild my life. I formed meaningful relationships, took up work, and even indulged in spontaneous moments of dance.
With newfound confidence, I started a vegetable business, supported by my friends from ECRC. Through it all, ECRC remained a source of love and familiarity, helping me thrive and flourish.”
– Rosy
Locations
