A mental health team from the Ministry of Health and Wellness, led by Minister of Health Dr Christopher Tufton, visited BB Coke High School last Thursday for the latest in its series of school Wellness Check Ins being done islandwide.

The Wellness Check Ins, undertaken in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and Youth, feature the engagement of the entire school community during devotion, as well as therapeutic sessions with smaller groups of students together with the installation of a Wellness Bench.

The intervention is done as part of the #DoYourShare mental wellness campaign and in line with the School Mental Health Literacy Programme.

#DoYourShare prioritises the creation of safe spaces for young people who may be struggling with mental health challenges; and makes available information, education and communication resources on mental wellness. It also includes the donation of a ‘Wellness Bench’ as a symbol for safe spaces and as a tool to promote communication about mental wellness.

The School Mental Health Literacy programme sees the training of school professionals to help students get a better understanding of mental health and what they can do to help preserve their mental wellness. Those trained under the programme are provided with competencies in mental health literacy, notably:

•understanding how to optimise and maintain good mental health;

•understanding mental disorders and their treatments;

•decreasing stigma; and

•enhancing help-seeking efficacy, which is knowing when and where to get help and having the skills necessary to promote self-care and to obtain good care.

Each school intervention takes account of the four dimensions of health, namely the spiritual, the physical, the social, and the mental. They also expose students to coping skills for stress and share available resources, including:

•the 888-SAFE-SPOT (888-723-3776) helpline for children up to 18 years old, which can also be accessed via WhatsApp at 876-439-5199 or through direct message @safespotja on Snapchat and Instagram;

•the U-Matter Chatline for 16-24 years olds that is accessible by texting SUPPORT to 876-838-4897, and via Instagram and Facebook Messenger @ureportjamaica.

There is also the Mental Health & Suicide Prevention Helpline, 888-NEW-LIFE (888-639-5433).

“The message is simple, we can resolve our differences without resorting to violence, to aggression and, indeed, from a mental wellness perspective, we are encouraging students here and across the country to find a safe space to solve their problems,” noted Dr Tufton during the BB Coke visit.

“The Wellness Bench is one such space, but it is also symbolic. Your safe space may be under a tree, at home, with an aunt, a mother, the school principal, guidance counsellor or form teacher… The point is to have a safe space,” the minister added.