Clinicians, counsellors and teams
For professionals
SAATHI is designed to help trained people receive requests that are made with consent, and to respond with care. It is not designed to replace their judgement.
Who the workspace is for
- Psychologists and counsellors with valid registration.
- Psychiatrists and doctors.
- School and college counsellors.
- District Mental Health Programme, One Stop Centre and child-protection teams.
- Trained community workers supervised by a registered professional.
How a referral flows
A person asks for support
With their consent, through the request form.
A trained person triages the request
A human reviews it and sets priority. Nothing is ranked or diagnosed by a program.
It is matched to a verified service
By state, language, age band, preferences and capacity.
The professional makes contact
Using the person's preferred channel and safe times.
Follow-up is recorded
The outcome is logged, so nobody falls through the gaps.
Principles
Human-reviewed priority
People decide who needs help first.
No automated diagnosis
SAATHI does not label anyone.
An audit trail
Who saw or changed a record is logged.
Role-based access
People see only what their role needs.
POCSO reporting duties
Professionals must report child sexual abuse, and the platform does not override this.
Consent and dignity
Care that respects autonomy, culture and faith.
Concerns, responses and escalation
A guide to common concerns, what to do, and when to escalate. It supports, and does not replace, clinical judgement.
| Concern | What to look for | Suggested response | Escalation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Persistent emotional or behavioural change | A noticeable change from the person's usual functioning that persists, worsens or affects daily life. | Listen without judgement; document observations; explore context; arrange age-appropriate assessment and follow-up. | Urgency increases with rapid deterioration, inability to function, psychosis, severe agitation or safety concerns. |
| Suicide or self-harm concern Urgent | Talking about death, hopelessness, self-harm, feeling trapped or being a burden; seeking means; recent attempt. | Ask directly about thoughts, intent, plan, access to means and immediate safety; stay with the person if risk is imminent; involve appropriate supports and arrange urgent assessment. | Imminent danger, a plan, access to means or a recent attempt: urgent emergency or clinical assessment. In India, call 112 for emergency assistance. Do not leave the person alone. |
| Possible abuse, exploitation or neglect Urgent | Fear of a particular person, unexplained injuries, disclosure, coercion, unsafe living conditions or unmet basic needs. | Prioritise immediate safety; listen calmly; do not investigate or ask leading questions; record factual disclosures; follow institutional safeguarding protocol. | For children, follow applicable child-protection duties and report through the appropriate statutory channels. For adults, respect autonomy while addressing immediate danger. |
| Possible psychosis or mania | Hallucinations, delusions, disorganised speech, markedly reduced need for sleep with elevated or irritable mood and risky behaviour. | Arrange prompt assessment by a qualified mental health professional or psychiatrist; assess medical and substance-related causes. | Severe disorganisation, dangerous behaviour, inability to care for self or acute risk requires urgent assessment. |
| Possible dementia or delirium Urgent | Gradual memory and functional decline, compared with sudden confusion, inattention or altered awareness. | Arrange medical assessment; gather history from the person and, with consent or appropriate authority, a trusted informant; review medication and physical health. | Sudden-onset confusion is a medical urgency and may indicate delirium, infection, stroke or medication effects. |
| Substance-related concern Urgent | Intoxication, withdrawal, escalating use, impaired functioning, overdose risk or use to cope with distress. | Use non-judgemental screening; assess immediate medical risk; offer brief intervention and referral to de-addiction or clinical services. | Suspected overdose, severe withdrawal, reduced consciousness or breathing difficulty requires emergency medical care. |
To join
- Valid registration, for example, RCI for clinical and rehabilitation psychologists, or NMC or a state medical council for doctors and psychiatrists.
- Agreement to follow the safeguarding, confidentiality and data-protection rules.
- A credential check and an interview.
- Willingness to be reviewed regularly.
Applications open district by district. See for partners.