Section 35 in The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Model Rules, 2016
35. Mental Health.
(1)The environment in an institution shall be free from abuse, allowing children to cope with their situation and regain confidence.(2)All persons involved in taking care of the children in an institution shall participate in facilitating an enabling environment and work in collaboration with the therapists as needed.(3)Milieu based interventions and individual therapy are must for every child and shall be provided in all institutions.Explanation. - For the purpose of this sub-rule, "milieu based intervention" is a process of recovery, which starts through providing an enabling culture and environment in an institution so as to ensure that each child's abilities are discovered and they have choices and right to take decisions regarding their life and thus, develop and identify beyond their negative experiences, such intervention which has a critical emotional impact on the child.(4)Individual therapy is a specialized process and each institution shall make provisions for it as a critical mental health intervention.(5)Every institution shall have the services of trained counselors or collaboration with external agencies such as child guidance centres, psychology and psychiatric departments or similar Government and non-Governmental agencies, for specialized and regular individual therapy for the child,(6)The recommendations of mental health experts shall be maintained in every case file, as required.(7)No child shall be administered medication for mental health problems without a psychological evaluation and diagnosis by trained mental health professionals.(8)Medicines should be administered to the children only by trained medical staff and not by any other staff of the Home.
