ACTIVITIES OF TURNING POINT: (SOCIAL & ECONOMIC REHABILITATION PROGRAMS)

Exercise: Home borne mentally ill persons are subjected to daily exercise in Turning Point under the guidance of a Physical Training Teacher to recover from the usual lack of drive, apathy, laziness & depression.

News: News paper reading & news discussion is organized with a sense of sharing of each others’ feelings & views so, not only a secluded person is revived but knowledge about social conditions & places become interesting & awaring & one also starts feeling himself a part of the society.

Debates: To actuate & give dimension to the once curbed communication of the clients, debates help to provoke the spirit to convince one another of their standpoints and simultaneously develop a positive attitude for external social intermingling.

Skills & Ability are best developed by innovative games & activities, which involve action to reduce the effects of inhibitions & withdrawal. Turning Point cranes its neck out for newer and newer games & activities that would not only act as a part of Behavioral Therapy but also stimulate & expedite observation & motor skills, wit, stance, effort of acquiring prominence in public, freedom, initiative, positive drive, clarity & locomotion. Actions the spirit of Preoccupation & ability of self-expression bears a clinical value because the impact of diversion helps minimize the trauma of mental illness & brings a sense of self esteem & fortitude -- and to the lethargic, willingness to work easily results.

Beyond counseling, Group Therapy by various therapeutic options allows clients to discuss, solve, share, recollect or conceptualize aspects that would, on one hand, bring out inner feelings & viewpoints as also create an effect of empathy & correspondence with one another’s’ situations

Role Modeling not only eliminates effects age-appropriate attitudes of regression & nervousness, but for these clients who have never foregone dire situations of practicality or emergency now get scope to imagine he is as well answerable to society, that expectations are mutual in society, work & responsibility can itself be the reward. This increases his self-esteem. Despite years of seclusion, now he develops a drive to work & find meaning in life.

Art & Handicraft: Turning Point is ever highlighting the magnificent hidden talents among its’ clients. So far, with meticulous effort, the clients are readily producing quality paintings, collages & origami, handicraft items like consumer accessories, decorated pottery, children’s’ items, various household utility & office utility items that are daily made & sold by the clients and the entire money yielded is immediately paid to the respective clients as a measure of motivation, inspiration & their self esteem that the. They excel to the level of painting colored T-shirts & making handsome profit.


Creative Writing: Those gifted with creative writing talents are further encouraged and offered avenues for publication or jobs in news agencies or even trained to join mass communication courses.

Music: To help vent oneself, each individual is encouraged to sing out in harmony or solo and traditional & occidental musical games are organized as competitions to brew a challenge of each person’s flair of music. Turning Point even reaches out to provide them exposure in television & radio.

RECITATION, ELOCUTION, & EXTEMPORE: Recitation, Elocution, Extempore & Lectures on different fields of knowledge, people, experiences, places & ideologies provide diverse advantages starting from comprehension of mood, pronunciation, creativity, to the extent of one’s scope of conceptualizing & performances onstage or finding scope in avenues of broadcast.

ANNUAL EVENTS: To encourage these talents altogether, each year Turning Point arranges for a gala Cultural Program Nite with performances by the beneficiaries in music, dance, elocution, recitation, plays etc, & also a grand Sports-Cum-Painting-Cum-Music Competition between all NGO’s of Calcutta. The shows are also featured in every newspaper & television as a measure of Awareness Of Mental Health & Challenge Against Discrimination & Stigma.


Interestingly, Turning Point took the courage to believe that the mentally ill were not incapable of computer education that becomes a necessity in modern jobs. And today, not only is Turning Point the pioneer in this ingenuous idea but as a matter of achievement, most of our beneficiaries have acquired the Professional Basic Computer Course Certificate from Turning Point, opting for computer programs in professional institutes, and now also practicing Advance Computer Programs in Turning Point. They tried computer education in institutions but due to shortcomings arising from their illness, they had no option but to discontinue & remain jobless. With Turning Point facilities their learning progressed easily with patience & not pressure. Enthusiasm as well as the prospect of attractive job availabilities involving computer applications led them to insist us for Advanced Computer Courses and with much pleasure we have met their demands eclipsing all troubles.

RELAXATION THERAPY: Relaxation Therapy techniques are demonstrated & the faculties invigilate the performances & finally the aftereffects & experience is shared amongst.

OTHER ATTRACTIVE ACTIVITIES of Turning Point include yearly long distance tours where caregivers are allowed to accompany, frequent short distance picnics / movies / trips / parties, extensive exhibitions displaying handicrafts, paintings & including fun games & delicious food prepared by the clients with little assistance, & cooking classes, etc. Turning Point, unlike any other NGO, feels the dire necessity of reaching out to the necessities of each Mentally Challenged Individual should it aim to bring about the Turning Point in his lifetime.

Turning Point-Annual activity Report : 2005-2006