With those words, Minister of Health Senator the Hon. Ann David Antoine, congratulated the members of the Coordinating Committee convened by the Agency for Reconstruction and Development Inc. (ARD) in developing a model for effectively responding to the psychological and social needs of citizens.

The Coordinating Committee comprises representatives of the ARD, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Social Development, the Wellness Committee, Legal Aid and Counselling Clinic (LACC) and UNICEF. For the past four months, the Committee has been developing a model that combines the two approaches utilised in post-Ivan Grenada.

The Minister of Health said the model shows the potential for establishing valuable linkages and empowering communities through networking, noting the importance of heightening public ability to
recognise the symptoms of psychological stress or trauma.

ARD Director of Social Recovery Dr. Jennifer Holder Dolly, who spearheaded the initiative, referred to the presentation as a “signature moment for Grenada,” and revealed that the OECS Secretariat has already requested a copy of the model. Post disaster psycho-social response is an area of impact on which there is limited documentation or direction for the sub-Caribbean.

“In fact, we are path-makers in this process,” Dr. Dolly said.

The Plan combines the Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) and the Mental Health models, which were used by the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Social Development and others post Ivan to intervene at the community level in the provision of psycho-social support and counselling.

Minister Bain Joseph said one of the lessons of hurricanes Ivan and Emily was that Grenada was “ill-equipped” to manage the psycho-social intervention needs of all persons who experienced trauma. She said the identification of community leaders “at the grass roots level” is pivotal to the success of interventions.

Minister Bain Joseph, noting that the model also reflects the needs of caregivers, said it is an excellent example of what can be accomplished when social partners work together in nation building.

The model makes provisions for both pre and post disaster response and takes into consideration the specific needs and capacity of Grenada. It outlines a collaborative system that accommodates debriefing, screening, treatment and referrals. (See attached chart)

Dr. Dolly also stressed the importance of merging the model “in a formal way” with the operations of the National Disaster Management Agency (NaDMA) to ensure the psycho-social component is part of the national disaster response system.

Additionally, the model is not limited to disaster situations and can be applied to the day to day psycho-social needs of the population.

The presentation was attended by officials from the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Social Development, the Ministry of Education, the Royal Grenada Police Force, the Mt. Gay Hospital, Richmond Home for the Elderly NaDMA, LACC and the US Embassy, among others.