The founders, Board members and staff of ACMI are mainly those with expertise drawn from personal or professional responsibilities in the filed of mental illness. It is not therefore surprising that ACMI is one of the few advocacy forums in the country that pins down the issues to the ground realities of family and community care. Prior to starting ACMI, one of the founders, Dr.Nirmala Srinivasan had founded AMEND, the first autonomous self help group in the country for the families engaged in support and care of persons with mental illness (MI).

ACMI Founders

Nirmala Srinivasan, Ph.D. has been passionately involved in the cause of mental illness for the last one decade. The mission is her personal passion in life. As founder of AMEND, (Bangalore) the first autonomous self help group for families and patients of mental illness, her close interaction with the ground realities of day to day management of patients in families equipped her with insights into larger issues of rights, policies and law related to persons with mental illness. She is member of several state level policy making bodies in the field of mental health, the most recent one being the Sub-Committee for Plan of Action for Mental Health in Karnataka. She is also a member of the Central Coordinating Committee on Disabilities under the MoSocial Justice, GOI. She holds a Ph.D. in Sociology from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi and has taught in leading business schools before dedicating her life to work for the cause. In recognition of her contribution to the cause, she has been awarded the Ashoka Fellowship in 2003 by Ashoka Innovators for Public, Washington D.C. She is also one of the founder members of the Lancet launch on Movement for Global Mental Health since Sept 2008.

Laila Ollapally, MA (Economics), LL.M is a practicing Advocate in the High Court of Karnataka. She has special interest in the field of Consumer Protection, Environment, Health Care and the Disabilities. She is involved in litigation in the Karnataka High Court for promoting health care for the mentally ill and their rights. Several relevant orders are obtained from the Court in the field of mental health plan in KA.. She works with the government and the service providers for implementation of these orders and creates legal awareness amongst them and among the persons with mental illness and their family care givers. Presently, she is in charge of the Reconciliation project of the High Court of Karnataka AND in other State courts as well.