Caribbean Youth National Mental Health Focal Point Network launched

Youth mental health focal points have been appointed across 17 Caribbean territories through an exciting new partnership between UNICEF and the youth-led regional mental health advocacy organisation Let’s Unpack It (LUI). 

The Caribbean Youth National Mental Health Focal Point Network will help to design and implement initiatives and campaigns around mental health and wellness; represent the opinions of Caribbean youth at regional and international meetings, conferences, and symposia; and help to mobilize other children and youth to end the stigma and prioritize mental health and wellness. Each country's focal point will also benefit from training, career development and opportunities to participate in regional and international efforts.

UNICEF has also partnered with the CARICOM Secretariat on a comprehensive survey to better understand the mental health status of young people across the Caribbean.

UNICEF Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Specialist Bertrand Moses revealed that while the Eastern Caribbean Area office provided technical guidance, the views of children and young people, facilitated through LUI, took precedence in the program's development, design and implementation. UNICEF has also committed to providing capacity building, certified training and mentorship to the youth advocates, he disclosed.

The advocates between the ages of 15 and 24 will be expected to attend monthly committee meetings, implement youth mental health programmes in their countries, and mobilize young people to play an active role in prioritizing child and youth mental health and wellness. They will serve for two years and can reapply after their tenure.

"I firmly believe that together we can build a world where every young person can enjoy their right to the highest attainable standard of mental health," declared LUI president and founder David Johnson. 

Emily Anna Bachan is one of two focal points appointed in Trinidad and Tobago who recently called for psychosocial support services to be made available to all citizens.

“Mental health is a universal human right,” said Bachan in an Instagram post on World Mental Health Day.

“That means broadening awareness and psychoeducation, facilitating safe and open non-judgmental conversations about mental health. It’s also about eliminating the stigma and breaking the barriers to accessing high-quality mental health services.”

Full list of National Youth Mental Health Focal Points