Projects People

Founded in 2007, the Centre for Mental Health Law & Policy (CMHLP) is based in Pune at the Indian Law Society (ILS). ILS, our parent body, is a not-for-profit that was established as a charitable society in 1923.

Our mission is to strengthen and transform the mental health of our communities to be holistic and responsive in addressing individual and collective well-being.

We facilitate pathways that enable people to lead healthy and fulfilling lives. To apply a rights-based approach, we collaborate with stakeholders from multiple disciplines including policymakers, mental health professionals, researchers, civil society organisations, persons with lived experience and the media.

We work nationally & internationally, with a specific focus on vulnerable & marginalised populations across low- and middle-income settings.

Our work addresses the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

We focus on:

Policy Change: Working with governments to promote evidence-based policy reform and implementation for mental health and suicide prevention.
Implementation Research: Partnering with communities to co-design, implement, and evaluate innovative & sustainable real-life solutions to improve mental health, suicide prevention, and social outcomes.
Capacity Building: Working with diverse stakeholders using participatory learning to promote a shift in knowledge, attitudes, and practice towards mental health for all.

Our work is centred around 7 strategic themes: