Establishment of District Counselling Officer Pool – Jaffna District

As part of an ongoing series of programmes aimed at establishing District Counselling Officer Pools, another event was held on 15 September 2026 at the Jaffna Divisional Secretariat. The initiative seeks to overcome challenges in conducting pre- and post-follow-up activities carried out by District Rehabilitation Coordinating Offices under the Bureau, which have been constrained by a shortage of qualified counselling personnel.

Initiated based on a concept by Senior Professor Wasantha Subasinghe, Chairperson of the Governing Council of the Rehabilitation Bureau, the programme was presided over by the Additional District Secretary of Jaffna, Mr K. Sivakaran. Key attendees included Additional Commissioner General of Rehabilitation Brigadier Prasanna Priyalal, Senior Counselling Officer and member of the “Ratama Ekata” National Programme for the Prevention of Harmful Drugs Mr M.M.G.M.B. Rashad, officers from the Rehabilitation Bureau, and counselling officers representing the Jaffna District.

Addressing the gathering, Additional District Secretary Mr K. Sivakaran and Additional Commissioner General of Rehabilitation Brigadier Prasanna Priyalal emphasised the intention to utilise the expertise of selected counselling officers from this pool for pre- and post-follow-up processes, urging them to actively contribute to the effort.

During the session, Senior Counselling Officer Mr M.M.G.M.B. Rashad delivered a specialised lecture focusing on key objectives: defining a beneficiary of rehabilitation, identifying their psychological state, restoring strained family structures during their tenure at rehabilitation centres, fostering positive attitudes within the family environment, providing necessary guidance to sustain healthy familial relationships post-reintegration, and preventing relapse into substance abuse. He further highlighted essential guidelines and practical realities to be mindful of when directly engaging with beneficiaries undergoing residential rehabilitation.