Mental Health, Substance Abuse Strategic Plan on front burner
By VonDez Phipps
Reporter-SKNVibes.com
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PAHO Mental Health Advisor Dr. Shirley Alleyne
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BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – GOVERNMENT, healthcare and education officials as well as social workers, along with religious and law enforcement representatives, convened at the Bird Rock Beach Hotel today (Oct. 7) for the St. Kitts-Nevis Mental Health Policy Development Meeting.
The meeting was launched as a part of Mental Health Week and is expected to revisit with a view to strengthen the existing Mental Health and Substance Abuse Strategic Plan by adding measurable terms. It should also augment the current national situational analysis, has an open dialogue with stakeholders and to issue assignments to key stakeholders in providing the necessary framework for the Mental Health Policy.
PAHO Mental Health Advisor for Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean, Dr. Shirley Alleyne, told SKNVibes that her representation is to provide technical advice as the nation improves its Mental Health Policy. She opined that the process is very important to provide a guide for programmes to be elaborated in the nation’s approach to mental health.
“Speaking as an observer, St. Kitts-Nevis has gotten off on a good start because many of the key stakeholders are present today,
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A cross-section of participants
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which is necessary for sound input to be provided. The varied combination of representatives is, I think, very essential as the vision encourages a wide cross-section of sectors within the country so that the policy represents the ideas of many.
“It is very timely, especially now that St. Kitts-Nevis is really focussing on improving the mental health situation, and the policy provides the necessary guidance for that.
It allows a methodical approach to mental health as it shows a continuous process in setting a time frame to accomplish the main objectives of the policy. In fact, there has been an interestingly high level of enthusiasm by the participants, so we are expecting for this workshop to be successful.”
Consultant Psychiatrist Dr. Sharon Halliday said the local team has recognised that the mental health system still needs work and so, they are trying to organise the process properly. She added that the policy should focus more on strategic planning and situational analyses before being launched as legislation.
In revealing the vision of the local mental health team, Dr. Halliday said, “We have looked at other mental health policies from all over the world, which have shaped our vision of what our mental health policy should look like. We want to offer adequate, appropriate, affordable mental help which remains readily accessible. We also want to offer various arms of psychiatry and psychology, and offer detoxification and rehabilitation for patients.”
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