New Training Programme Equips Communities To Respond To Mental Health Emergencies

Described as a quiet epidemic affecting citizens from as young as twelve to as old as sixty, the local mental health crisis is forcing community organizations to take urgent action. With professional psychiatric resources stretched thin across the country, a new regional first-aid training program is turning teachers, priests, and pastoral care workers into immediate crisis responders. Faith Cheruiyot reports A mental health crisis is quietly gripping Trinidad and Tobago, affecting both the young and the old. In response the Samaritan Movement has stepped in to train community leaders to act as frontline support. The initiative is being heavily driven by the Catholic Church across sixty-six local parishes. The program is designed to create an expansive, nationwide network of mental health first-responders as explained by Executive Director of the Samaritan Movement, Darrion Narine. The urgency of the program is underscored by the tragic realities facing local ministers and first responders, who are witnessing an unprecedented spike in self-harm across every single age bracket. By equipping everyone from teachers to priests with the ability to spot early symptoms, organizers hope this localized response will build a buffer against the shortage of professional care and save lives.