A pilot programme to establish a District Counselling Officers Pool was launched in the Gampaha District on 23 June 2026 with the primary objective of strengthening the pre-rehabilitation and post-rehabilitation follow-up process carried out by the District Rehabilitation Coordinating Offices established under the Bureau of Rehabilitation.

The initiative was introduced to address the shortage of counselling officers available to provide the counselling services required during pre-rehabilitation and post-rehabilitation follow-up activities, thereby removing a key obstacle to the effectiveness and success of the rehabilitation process.

The programme was initiated based on a proposal by Senior Professor Wasantha Subasinghe, Chairperson of the Board of Management of the Bureau of Rehabilitation. The inaugural session was held under the patronage of Senior Professor Wasantha Subasinghe and Mr J. W. S. Kithsiri, Additional District Secretary – Gampaha, with the participation of Brigadier Shiran Amith, Commissioner General of Rehabilitation; Brigadier Prasanna Priyalal, Additional Commissioner General of Rehabilitation; officers of the Bureau of Rehabilitation; and counselling officers representing the Gampaha District.

The selected counselling officers from this district pool are expected to provide professional support for pre-rehabilitation and post-rehabilitation follow-up activities. Their role will include working with the families of rehabilitation beneficiaries while they are undergoing rehabilitation to help rebuild strained family relationships, foster positive attitudes towards the beneficiaries, and create a supportive home environment for their successful reintegration into society. Following the beneficiaries’ return to the community, the counselling officers will continue to provide guidance to help maintain healthy family relationships and reduce the risk of relapse into drug use.

As part of the programme, Mrs Prabha Yatawara, Senior Psychological Counsellor at the Ministry of Rural Development, Social Security and Community Empowerment, delivered a special lecture on the counselling process, highlighting the importance of family involvement, effective rehabilitation support, and the key principles that counselling officers should observe during pre- and post-rehabilitation follow-up.

In addition, Mrs Nimaya Priyamali, Counselling Officer at the Navodaya Tertiary and Vocational Training Centre, conducted a session on the psychological condition of rehabilitation beneficiaries and the fundamental considerations for counselling officers when working directly with beneficiaries throughout the rehabilitation process.