St Elizabeth health department mulls interim mental health facility
ST ELIZABETH, Jamaica – The St Elizabeth Health Department is looking into the possibility of establishing an interim mental health facility as part of measures to strengthen the parish’s mental health response.
Medical Officer of Health for the parish, Dr Tonia Dawkins-Beharie, said the intervention, along with setting up a specialised subcommittee, was discussed at a recent public health committee meeting.
“So, it’s a joint approach by all the stakeholders. Moreover, as part of the discussions, we looked if there is a need or the possibility of having an interim mental health facility,” she noted.
“An interim mental health facility is something that can strengthen our response if we have mental health crises or other related issues,” she added.
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She was addressing the monthly meeting of the St Elizabeth Municipal Corporation in Black River on Thursday.
Turning to a recent incident at Retirement Primary School, involving a man with suspected mental illness, Dawkins-Beharie said that the health department deployed its mental health team to assess and provide the necessary interventions.
She noted that the department worked in collaboration with the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) to ensure that the suspect was taken into care for evaluation.
“We also did reach out to the school and I spoke to the principal. We sent our team to offer support counselling because we understand that the event would have been traumatising,” she pointed out.
“So, we have offered that kind of support and will continue to follow up with the school to offer care in that respect,” she added.
Dawkins-Beharie pointed out that mental illness is a societal issue requiring a multi-agency approach. She underscored the importance of social support, medication, and community involvement in addressing mental illness.
The health department is encouraging members of the public to report suspected cases of mental illness and has provided emergency contact numbers for immediate response. These are 876-778-6124, 876-793-5087, and the department’s main line at 876-965-2212.
– JIS
