DIGNITY
Every beneficiary is treated with respect.
IVM's core values include dignity, community-rootedness, accountability, inclusion, sustainability and professionalism.
ABOUT IVM
A community promise,
renewed every day.
Founded in 2000, IVM works across Tamil Nadu through education, sports, social welfare and community mental-health rehabilitation.
OUR STORY
Rooted in people. Built for long-term change.
IVM is more than an organisation — it is a community promise.
Our programmes are structured to create practical opportunity while preserving dignity, participation and independence.
VISION & MISSION
What guides the movement.
01 · VISION
Every child thrives. Every person can rebuild.
A Tamil Nadu where children thrive in learning and play and people living with mental illness or addiction receive compassionate professional care and a real opportunity to rebuild their lives.
IVM imagines communities where education, participation, recovery and belonging are not separate journeys, but connected pathways to a more independent and dignified life.
02 · MISSION
Evidence-informed. Community-rooted.
To deliver programmes in education, sports and mental-health rehabilitation that empower individuals and families to lead dignified, self-determined lives.
Our work combines practical support with participation, skills and professional care — helping children learn, young people grow in confidence, and individuals and families move towards recovery and independence.
OUR VALUES
How we show up.
♡
Compassion
Respect and dignity in every interaction.
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Evidence
Structured interventions around real needs.
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Community
Solutions rooted in local participation.
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Empowerment
Building independence, not dependency.
WHY IVM EXISTS
Addressing the roots of exclusion.
IVM's stated objectives include economic, educational, social and health-oriented measures for underprivileged and weaker sections, including women, youth, people with mental illness and differently able people across urban and rural communities.
LORD → IVM INTEGRATION
More than three decades of mental-health work now forms a core IVM unit.
The supplied IVM activities document states that LORD had been functioning for more than three decades and had served more than 2,000 mentally ill patients. In November 2025, LORD was merged with Indian Village Movement Trust and now functions as a unit of IVM.
The 2026 project proposal frames IVM's work around three interconnected pillars: Education, Sports & Youth, and Mental Health.
AWARENESS
Early identification
Awareness focuses on causes, symptoms, treatment approaches and access to mental-health care, with a strong emphasis on early recognition.
ACCESS
Community participation
IVM promotes community participation in mental-health services and self-help approaches, alongside counselling and professional care.
REINTEGRATION
Family-based rehabilitation
Relief and hope are pursued through family-based rehabilitation, education, training and development.
THE EARLY YEARS
Awareness came before infrastructure.
The historical record begins with LORD's work in 1992 and includes a 1993 survey covering 5,000 people in North Chennai slums, medical camps, school awareness programmes and counselling.
1993 · 5,000 people surveyed
1994 · First medical camp
1996 · 100 schools covered
2000 · IVM formed
MILESTONES
1992
LORD formed
Work began among people with mental illness.
1994
Medical camp
First medical camp for mental illness and other disorders at Vyasarpadi.
1996
School awareness
Mental-health awareness reached 100 schools across Cuddalore district and Pondicherry.
2000
IVM formed
IVM began a psychiatric rehabilitation centre and wider education/awareness work.
OUR JOURNEY
More than two decades of service.
From grassroots awareness and community rehabilitation to education, sport and integrated programmes, IVM has continued to evolve around the needs of the people it serves.
2000
IVM Founded
Grassroots community work begins.
EDUCATION
Tuition Centres
Learning support expands for children.
SPORT
Youth Development
Football and life-skills programmes grow.
LORD
Mental Health
Professional rehabilitation becomes a core pathway.
NEXT
Integrated Care
Building the next chapter of impact.
A HISTORY OF COMMUNITY WORK
From early mental-health outreach to an integrated movement.
The supplied activity history records a long sequence of mental-health awareness, medical camps, school programmes, community development, rehabilitation, relief work, education and sport.
Foundation & early outreach
LORD was formed in 1992. Early work included a North Chennai survey covering 5,000 people, medical camps, school awareness, counselling and rehabilitation activity. IVM was formed in 2000 and started a psychiatric rehabilitation centre.
Expansion across Tamil Nadu
Activities expanded through Erode, Coimbatore, Tiruppur, Salem, Vellore, Peranampet and other districts, alongside community development, tuition centres, older-adult support and Chennai flood relief.
Integrated care & renewal
Psychiatric rehabilitation expanded, student training opportunities were introduced, COVID-19 support continued, sports and tuition work grew, LORD merged with IVM in 2025, and the project licence was renewed in 2026.
COMPLETE SERVICE TIMELINE
1992 → 2026
The activity record shows how IVM and LORD evolved through awareness, medical care, education, community development, relief, sport and rehabilitation.
Formation & early clinical work
1992 LORD formed. 1993 North Chennai survey covered 5,000 people. 1994 first medical camp at Vyasarpadi. 1995 rehabilitation permission at the Institute of Mental Health and school/college awareness began.
Schools, counselling & IVM
1996 awareness reached 100 schools in Cuddalore and Pondicherry. 1997 Kancheepuram programmes and counselling. 1998 State Mental Health Authority recognition. 2000 IVM formed and psychiatric rehabilitation started. 2001 expanded school coverage and outpatient/counselling work.
District expansion & community development
Awareness and public seminars expanded to Coimbatore, Tiruppur, Salem, Pondicherry and Vellore. Medical camps and community development grew in Peranampet, Kancheepuram, Thiruvallur and rural Vellore.
Awareness, rehabilitation & village support
Mental-health awareness continued through media. Psychiatric rehabilitation developed, with more than 1,000 patients reunited with families by 2012. Peranampet received monthly provisions, meals for older adults and evening tuition centres.
Relief, training & COVID support
Flood relief supported Saidapet and Kelambakkam. Psychiatric rehabilitation and general health checkups expanded. College visits, training and internships were introduced. During COVID-19, families received telephonic/online counselling and monthly groceries.
Education, sport & integration
Tuition centres received school bags; football players received jerseys, shoes and nutrition. Tuition and sports continued through 2023–24. In 2025 LORD merged with IVM as a project, and in 2026 the LORD Psychiatric & De-addiction Rehabilitation Centre licence was renewed by the State Mental Health Authority, Chennai.
LORD · VISION & MISSION
Dignity, awareness and family reunification.
LORD's stated vision is to provide dignified care for people with mental-health challenges, enable family reunification and work toward broad mental-health awareness across Tamil Nadu. Its mission prioritises the poorest and most vulnerable while educating student communities and reducing stigma around mental illness.
PEOPLE BEHIND THE MOVEMENT
People behind the movement.
The people shaping IVM's work across community development, education and mental-health rehabilitation.
Managing Director & Trustee
Christopher Robin John A.
25+ years of expertise in mental-health rehabilitation and creative therapeutic practices, with leadership across community development and recovery.
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Trustee & Director
Kanisha Binu Sharon
Psychotherapist and Clinical Psychologist with 11+ years of professional experience, including therapeutic and community mental-health work.
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