LiveLoveLaugh (LLL) and The Deepika Padukone Closet Launch ‘Frontline Assist’
Join Hands with Sangath to Support Dedicated COVID-19 Well-being Center
India’s frontline workers have been at the forefront of the country’s management of the pandemic, with their efforts being nothing short of heroic. However, the reality of working through the harshest conditions of the pandemic have had a significant impact on not just their physical health but on their mental health, too. To address this very need for mental health support for frontline workers, LiveLoveLaugh (LLL) has announced that it will direct sales from The Deepika Padukone Closet to support mental health NGO Sangath’s dedicated COVID-19 Well-being Center via the Frontline Assist program.
Sangath’s COVID-19 Well-being Center offers a range of free well-being services to frontline workers and the general public. The services include:
Free Tele-counselling: Frontline workers can speak to a counsellor by calling a dedicated helpline on 011-41198666 (from anywhere in India, open all week from 10 am to 4 pm) or filling out an online form. Counselling support is currently offered in English, Hindi, Konkani and Marathi.
Community Support Via Listening Circles: Weekly online sessions for up to 10 people at a time, moderated by a Sangath facilitator. The sessions, held in multiple languages, aim to help frontline workers draw strength from sharing their experiences.
Mental Health Self-Care Resources: Sangath has also designed a range of helpful advice alongside practical and evidence-based tips and strategies to support mental well-being.
Dr Shyam Bhat, Psychiatrist and Chairperson, LiveLoveLaugh
LLL will support Sangath’s COVID-19 Well-being Center with sale proceeds from the current and future edits of The Deepika Padukone Closet to drive Sangath’s staff training efforts. Also, LLL’s and The Deepika Padukone Closet’s communication footprint will enable greater awareness of the initiative, ensuring that more frontline workers access these essential mental health services.
Speaking about the importance of this initiative, Deepika Padukone, Founder, LiveLoveLaugh, said, “Frontline workers have been the backbone of our country as we weather this pandemic. Having had a lived experience with mental illness, I understand the importance of emotional wellbeing, and as a mental health foundation, we are grateful to be able to contribute to the mental health of our country’s frontline workers with ‘Frontline Assist.’ We are proud to direct proceeds from The Deepika Padukone Closet towards mental health support of our country’s real heroes through our partnership with Sangath.”
Commenting on the partnership with LLL, Dr Vikram Patel, co-founder of Sangath and the Pershing Square Professor of Global Health at Harvard Medical School, said, “Mental health is fundamental to human well-being, and frontline workers in India need such care more than ever before. We are privileged to serve our nation’s frontline workers who have themselves served as the key human resource for Sangath’s model to enhance access to quality mental health care. We also look forward to a fruitful partnership with LLL to address the vast unmet needs for mental health care in the country.”
LiveLoveLaugh works with various mental health experts and charities to conceptualize and deliver its partnerships, said Dr Shyam Bhat, Psychiatrist and Chairperson, LLL. “The pandemic is a complex crisis that needs a comprehensive intervention, and Sangath’s multi-pronged outreach addresses that gap perfectly. Dr Vikram Patel’s expertise in this area is second to none, and it is a privilege to support this exceptional program, one that I fully believe will make a tremendous difference to the mental health of frontline workers.”
You can learn more about the initiative and support the program on LLL’s website here.
If you are a frontline worker and wish to speak to a counsellor, call 011-41198666 (from anywhere in India, open all week from 10 am to 4 pm).