Who we are
About Us
STEPS actively worked for the issues of the people during the 2015 flood before the registration of the organization. STEPS have distributed relief materials like dry rations, tarpaulin, etc. to the flood-affected people particularly Irula Tribes (ST), Scheduled caste (SC) communities, and people living with severe mental disorders in the Thirukazhukundram Block.
During this COVID -19 Pandemic situation, STEPS also provided dry rations to the needy, including People Living with Mental Illness, Mental Disorders, people who have other disabilities, widows, and aged people of the Thiruporur and Thirukazhukundram blocks of Chengalpattu district.
The STEPS organization has been working for community mental health service since March 20221 at Thirukazhukundram block of Chengalpattu District. It has been directly working with eighty-five (85) mentally ill person’s families in thirty-five (35) villages in the block. And make them get psychiatric treatment by attending the outpatient department at the government general hospital at Chengalpattu and Banayan at Kovalam. The community health workers regularly follow up with the client by visiting the home and making sure the client taking medicine without fail and getting social care support services. The health worker also provides individual and family counselling for those struggling with mental health issues and persons who have suicidal thoughts. It creates awareness of mental health for MGNREGA workers, School children and college students as well. Conducts training on “Mental Health and well-being” for self-help Group (SHG) leaders.
Founder & Director
Founder & Director
Mr. Anandan Nagappan has a Master's degree in Social Work (MSW) with a specialization in Medical and Psychiatric Social Work from the Madras School of Social Work Egmore Chennai from 1998 to 2000. He has worked in various organizations in the past twenty years, such as the Community Health Education Society (CHES) YRG CARE (Center for AIDS Research and Education, Indian Council for Child Welfare of Tamil Nadu (ICCWTN), The Banyan Academy of Leadership in Mental Health (BALM). He has work experience in headed project like mental health, HIV/AIDS prevention programme, Education and Child Rights Promotion Project, Early intervention service for development disorder children, conducting training for school and college students, Grassroots worker, Industrial workers, Youth and SHG women, counseled for persons with distress. He was involved in the implementation of the
Secretary
Secretary
Dr. Vijayalakshmi Loganathan completed her doctoral degree in Social work in 2022 from Loyola College and post-graduation in Social Work in 1999 from Madras School of Social Work, University of Madras. Over the past two decades, she has been involved in the coordination and implementation of research and developmental projects, and the organization of trainings and workshops to build the skills of researchers and practitioners.
Some of her past projects include organizations like IIT-Madras, Public Health Foundation of India, International Justice Mission, Tamil Nadu Directorate of Social Welfare, World Vision India, Tamil Nadu State AIDS Control Society, Hindustan Computers Limited and Act for Peace (Australia).Currently, she is a member of the Sexual Harassment Redressal Committee at Dr. Dharmambal Government Polytechnic College for Women, Tharamani, Chennai and a member of Anti Ragging Committee at Rajalakshmi Engineering College, Thandalam, Tiruvallur district. At present, she also holds the position of Secretary for Service Towards Empowerment of People and Society (STEPS), Chengalpattu district, Tamil Nadu.
Some of her past projects include organizations like IIT-Madras, Public Health Foundation of India, International Justice Mission, Tamil Nadu Directorate of Social Welfare, World Vision India, Tamil Nadu State AIDS Control Society, Hindustan Computers Limited and Act for Peace (Australia).Currently, she is a member of the Sexual Harassment Redressal Committee at Dr. Dharmambal Government Polytechnic College for Women, Tharamani, Chennai and a member of Anti Ragging Committee at Rajalakshmi Engineering College, Thandalam, Tiruvallur district. At present, she also holds the position of Secretary for Service Towards Empowerment of People and Society (STEPS), Chengalpattu district, Tamil Nadu.
Treasurer
Founder & Director
Mr. PonnurangamVelayutham completed DCP at CentalPolytechinc Institute in Taramani, Chennai and completed graduation in Commerce. He started his career as an office assistant with Royal Enfield in Thiruvotriyur in 1991and then Treasurer
worked as an officer for the Tax department at Global Steel in Ambatur. From 1996 to 2015, he worked as a Manager at Accurate Products Corp, a private limited in Chennai and presently he is a Panchayat president of Vadanemmeli village Thiruporur block, Chengalpattu District. He is interested to support the disadvantaged people in his village, so he started to provide support for children's education and encourage them to involve in sports activities. He supported to mobilize relief materials to distribute for needy during the Flood in 2015 and the recent COVID-19 pandemic.
Admin Staff
Kirubarani Robinson studied MA Sociology at AnnamalaiUniveristy, in Chidambaram and BA Sociology in Queen Mary’s College, Chennai. She worked as Transit Teacher in Don BoscoAnbillam and worked in YRG Care as a social worker from 2001 to 2017. Then she worked as a social worker at Cancer Institute in Adyar till 2022. She was experienced in handling sessions for school dropout children, counselled HIV/AID clients, and worked as a study coordinator for HIV/AIDS research. She has headed the team of staff for the cancer prevention programme in North Chennai
Community Health Worker
Community Health Worker
Founder & Director
A team of two part-time community health workers have been working for STEPS community mental health service since March 2021. They have done their Diploma in Community Mental Health Care (DCMH) and are natives of Thirukalukundram block, Chengalpattu district. As they belong to the same locality, they are able to approach the local people to deliver the mental health service in the block.