KINGSTON, Jamaica (JIS) — Minister of Health, Dr Christopher Tufton, says that 10 housing units will be built this year to accommodate mentally ill persons.

The US$72,000 project will be undertaken by Food for the Poor (FFP) in collaboration with the National Health Fund (NHF). The proposed site for the undertaking is the Lionel Town Hospital in May Pen.

The announcement by the Minister, in his contribution to the 2018/2019 Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives on Tuesday, is part of measures being undertaken by the Government this year to strengthen services for the mentally ill.

He noted that the Mental Illness and Homelessness report, which was completed in 2017, suggests that mental illness ranks among the most common non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in Jamaica and the world, but is too often undiagnosed and untreated.

“Unfortunately, each day we see manifestations of this disease through abandonment of family members, homelessness and needless violence. Mental illness affects uptown and downtown, rural and urban, but oftentimes is responded to with silence and shame. Stigmatisation, inadequate diagnosis and treatment represent major hurdles to addressing this challenge,” he lamented.

“As a society, we must come to terms with mental illness, and work collectively to treat and rehabilitate those who have been affected. It can be done,” he said.

Declaring that the “Government is committed to addressing this issue,” Tufton said that partnerships will be forged with non-governmental organisations (NGOs) that care for persons living with mental illness in communities.

In addition, collaborations will be explored with the Ebenezer Home in Manchester, and the Portland Rehabilitation Centre, aimed at increasing accommodation for homeless, mentally ill persons.

Tufton said further that teachers, guidance counsellors, and physical education coaches will be trained in early detection and referral of mental disorders, particularly, depression.

He said that efforts will also be made to build resilience skills and mental health literacy among high-school students, and the Ministry will be embarking on an early stimulation programme, which has been proven to reduce mental illness.

Other initiatives to be undertaken during the year include integration of the mental health message into the ‘Jamaica Moves’ campaign.

Tufton said that messages will also be developed and disseminated through social media, print media such as posters and retractable banners, and electronic media, including radio, and television advertisement and videos.

The Minister told the House that the educational programme by the mental health teams in communities will continue, while training will be ongoing for 30 community health aides in the South East Regional Health Authority (SERHA), to be followed by the North East Regional Health Authority (NERHA).

Tufton told the House that strides were made in strengthening community mental health services last year through, among other things, increasing the cadre of psychiatric nursing aides (PNAs) in underserved areas.

He informed that 62 students in two regions were trained over a four-month period, with a third region to receive similar attention.

The number of community mental health nurses in the western region increased by eight, and two new emergency vehicles were acquired for the island’s community health team, with five more to be added.