Twenty years of comprehensive and evolving mental health practice undertaken by The Banyan in both rural and urban Tamil Nadu overcoming tremendous resource scarcity as well as documentation and standardization of these revolutionary mental health models and systems by BALM has resulted in the genesis of the Institute of Mental Health, Social Sciences and Transdisciplinary Studies. IMHST therefore
, has a powerful and inspirational history behind its existence. The setting up of the institute in collaboration with one of the best social sciences institutes in the country; Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai and a pioneer in quality research; Vrije University, Amsterdam promises to open up a dynamic learning platform for students interested in mental health, social sciences and leadership. IMHST holds the vision to build a strong and committed cadre of professionals within the mental health and development sector who are not only equipped with knowledge, skills and techniques but have been honed to internalize ethical practice, develop empathy, engage in critical thinking and reasoning as well as practice solution-focused methods and approaches in their work. In a developing country like India, that has a population of over one billion, with a significant proportion of persons struggling to access food and clean drinking water every day, IMHST is attempting to help bridge the resource gap in health services with a special focus on mental health.
