Rehabilitation and reintegration of homeless persons with mental illness in India: an autoethnographic reflection

Purpose Homeless persons with mental illness are very vulnerable to discrimination and human rights violations. The rehabilitation of this population is a critical public health imperative and human rights mandate. The available literature on this issue in India largely remains epistemologically disconnected from the visceral and everyday realities of frontline practice. In this context, this paper aims to examine the author’s experiences of rehabilitating and reintegrating homeless persons with mental illness while working as a social worker in one of the leading rehabilitation settings in India. Design/methodology/approach By adopting a critical autoethnographic design, this study used critical memory work and reflexive field notes generated during the practice as the primary source of data. The data were subjected to systematic analysis and presentation, with measures in place to ensure rigor. Findings The findings reveal the stark reality of being homeless and living with mental illness and underline the structural and systemic insufficiencies in India in the rehabilitation of this population. The critical reflections on the rehabilitation measures adopted and the challenges in reintegration, including the familial and socioeconomomic dynamics influencing reunion, are unveiled in this study. Post-reunion treatment continuity and long-term care for individuals with severe mental illness remain a challenge. Originality/value The present study contributes by offering a practitioner’s experience, reflexive and first-hand, of the rehabilitation of homeless persons with mental illness, which brings forth the nuances of the intersections of mental illness, destitution and rehabilitation.