iCALL – Initiating Concern for All is a Psychosocial Helpline, which offers counselling services by telephone and email to individuals in psychosocial distress. The service is run by professional, trained counsellors, from Monday to Saturday, 8.00 a.m. to 10.00 p.m. currently, iCALL is funded through partnership and collaboration with academic, corporate, governmental and non-governmental bodies. Faculty from the School of Human Ecology are involved in an advisory capacity in various aspects of the project, from recruiting of counsellors, training, and monitoring and evaluation of service delivery.

The objectives of iCALL are:

1. To provide information, emotional support and counselling interventions to individuals in psychological distress
2. To connect individuals in psychological distress to knowledge and service resources
3. To provide structured training opportunities for creating human resources in mental health service provision
4. To carry out research in the field of mental distress and counselling
5. To develop a model of effective mental health intervention/counselling using a helpline

The calls are documented using a MIS, so that the data can be analysed for dissemination through academic papers and other publications. A dedicated software programme to document and analyse call data has been developed, and is being tested. A separate website is currently under development.

iCALL maintains directories of professionals providing mental health services, hospitals, deaddiction services, police, NGOs working for women, lawyers and other services so that credible referral services are available for callers. Over the last four years, iCALL has responded to over 35000 calls and 3500 emails.

iCALL has developed reports and publications from its call and email data. Going ahead, further publications are being developed. 

When you call us you can expect:

• Professional Counselling Services- All our counsellors and trained and certified to provide mental health services.
• No busy tone or IVR during work hours
• A reply to every email, tweet or a Facebook message within 24-48 hours
• Complete Anonymity
• Patient Listening, you can speak for as long as you wish to
• Non- Judgemental- You can talk to us about any issue bothering or affecting your life without the fear of being judged or marginalized.
• Consistent Support- We will be there to support you till you feel empowered to deal with your situation or issue.

What else iCALL does

• Allied activities with corporates, educational institutions, government agencies and NGOs. iCALL conducts periodic short activity based and long term customized training around mental health for these enterprises.
• Free email counselling by professional and trained counsellors
• Mental health outreach activities for institutions via conferences, events, posters, brochures and talks.
• Free newsletters for the public at large which aim at awareness building and preventive work.
• Our social media outreach also addresses mental health awareness for the public at large.
• Employee assistance programs for corporates
• At iCALL there is a special focus on the hitherto marginalized sections of our society such as women facing violence, children facing abuse, the LGBT community, socioeconomically backward groups and the survivors of mental illness.