Jharkhand News : The Ranchi Institute of Neuro-Psychiatry and Allied Sciences (RINPAS), Kanke, has launched a four-day training programme on “Queer and Trans-Affirmative Mental Healthcare” from July 29 to August 1, 2026. The programme is being organised jointly by the Department of Psychiatric Social Work (PSW), RINPAS, and the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai.
The initiative aims to strengthen mental healthcare services by promoting an inclusive, rights-based, and gender-affirmative approach towards queer and transgender communities.
The programme will be inaugurated by Kiran Kumari Pasi, IAS, Director, Department of Social Welfare, Government of Jharkhand, as the chief guest. It is being conducted under the leadership of Dr. Manisha Kiran, Head of the Department of Psychiatric Social Work, RINPAS.
Focus Areas
The training will cover a wide range of issues related to LGBTQ+ mental health, including:
Mental health disparities among LGBTQ+ communities.
Stressors associated with gender identity and sexual orientation.
Mental health challenges faced by LGBTQ+ youth and older adults.
Queer-affirmative interventions at family and community levels.
Legal and policy developments concerning LGBTQ+ rights in India.
Expert Faculty
The programme features leading experts from across India, including:
Dr. Ketaki Ranade, Lead Trainer and Faculty, School of Social Work, TISS Mumbai – Understanding gender, sexuality and identity.
Dr. Ranjita Biswas (Kolkata) – Ageing and LGBTQ+ mental health.
Aritra Chatterjee (Kolkata) – Gender dysphoria and assessment (online).
Dr. L. Ramakrishnan (Chennai) – LGBTQ+ health and advocacy in India.
Jagruti Wandrekar (Mumbai) – Mental health inequities and queer-affirmative Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT).
Dr. Asha Achuthan (TISS) – Research ethics while working with LGBTQ+ communities (online).
Vinay Chandran (Bengaluru) – Peer support interventions.
Dr. Srabasti Majumdar (Kolkata) – Queer-affirmative narrative therapy.
Dr. Kavita Arora (Delhi) – Working with children exhibiting gender non-conformity.
The training sessions are being held at the J.E. Dhunjibhoy Academic and Research Centre, RINPAS, Kanke, from 9:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. each day.
RINPAS Director Dr. Jayati Simlai extended her best wishes for the successful conduct of the programme and expressed hope that it would contribute to building more inclusive and affirmative mental healthcare services.
The institute has appealed to the media to widely disseminate the key messages of the programme and help foster greater awareness and sensitivity towards queer and transgender communities in society.
