Social Innovation in the Care of the Differently Abled

Social work had entered into social innovation scenario to address a host of issues like income deprivations, displacement, disability, racism, social conflicts, and social exclusion. In Indian situation care giving to the differently abled particularly those having mental illness is a matter of grave concern. Varied approaches including institutionalized care and family and community based care are tried out in different contexts depending on the nature and severity of illness. This study tries to examine the care and rehabilitation of the differently abled through the individual initiatives inspired by faith dimensions of Catholic Church lasting over a period of twenty years in the State of Kerala and outside. The objective is to explore the process and outcome dimensions of such social innovation to find out the motivating drivers and aspects of sustainability. The personal and familial dedication is also come under the purview of analysis. The study adopted a Grounded Theory approach and methodology to analyse and theorise the processes and outcomes of such initiatives. The sample was chosen using purposive sampling methods and data was collected using in-depth interviews of individual innovators, their family members, volunteers, professionals and community representatives taking 22 centers reaching theoretical saturation. Being a qualitative study, a conceptual framework is given to such home based social innovation rooted in faith based dimensions with social responsibility for social value creation through sustainability leading to a social mission. The committed and sustained involvement of the community and the neighbourhood generated an innovative model for care of the persons with mental illness. The results of the study brings out new relationships and innovative drives and motivations exceptional to the traditional philanthropic methods as well as professional care and rehabilitation approaches thereby characterising social innovation in care giving and rehabilitation of the mentally challenged. Unlike the western model of community care and rehabilitation of persons with mental illness, the new approach evolved through the study is a family based community supported care and rehabilitation. There is a new relationship paradigm emerges at different levels – between the client and innovator, the institution and the community, clients and the family members of the innovator, clients and their family, clients and the professionals etc.. It is a model for effective family education, care and compassion to complement other models of care and rehabilitation leading to theory of participatory family based care with community support in a spiral progressive paradigm