by HCC

Meet Our Partners and Supporters

The future of children and adolescents in Jamaica is at stake as the COVID-19 pandemic has aggravated the impact of multiple pre-existing stressors, such as violence and their mental health. Left unaddressed, this can have a lifelong and debilitating effect on each child and young person. The wider collective result will retard the development of the entire country. We must act now to ensure that a well-resourced, whole-of-government plan for improving the mental well-being of our young is implemented. Improving access to quality mental health services will not only improve the lives of children and adolescents, it will also yield a positive return on public investment and by extension grow our human capital and the economy.
United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) Jamaica

Mr. David Johnson

Mental health, just like physical health, is a fundamental right of every human being. We can ill afford to deny young people their right to a healthy life, and continue in our current vein, an attitude and approach to mental health rooted in silence, apathy, avoidance, complacency and stigma. Not when 1 in 7 young people in the 10-19 age group are experiencing a mental illness. Not when mental disorders remain a leading cause of illness and disability in young people. And, not when suicide is the 4th leading cause of death amongst young people aged 15-24. We have to do something! We have to intervene! We have to do right by our youth. And, that means calling for and taking decisive action to prevent, detect, manage and reduce the risk factors for the mental health challenges facing Caribbean youth! That, fundamentally, is what this Call to Action is about
Mr. David Johnson, President and Founder of Let’s Unpack It (Barbados)

Mrs. Tina Alexander

I am delighted to support this call to action on mental health. As a psychotherapist, I am aware of the enormous stress being experienced by young people and the consequences on their mental health. Gender-based violence, bullying, substance abuse and undiagnosed serious mental illnesses like schizophrenia and depression are all causes for concern. I look forward to hearing the passionate voices of young people as they raise awareness of these issues across the region
Mrs. Tina Alexander, Executive Director of Lifeline Ministries (Dominica)

Ms. Ashma McDougall

We have come to live in a world that is much different from what our parents and grandparents knew. With growing social and economic inequalities, violence, conflicts, pandemics and for youth,social and digital media have become an inescapable part of our lives; mental health is bound to be at risk. I urge you to digitally detox, take a break and recharge, reset! We all have minds that need to be cared for, some Tropical remedy is more sunlight, more candor, and more unashamed Conversation
Ms. Ashma McDougall, President of the National Youth Council of Dominica

Mr. Jonathan Manzano

I fully endorse the Caribbean Youth Mental Health Call to Action. I believe that thorough research, thought and love was poured into this project to put it together and I believe that through it, positive change is sure to surge through the Caribbean when it comes to our population’s mental health as a whole. Furthermore, in the meetings I attended, I saw for myself the dedication and attention to the most miniscule details to continually improve the Call to Action and because of all this, I am incredibly glad to be a part of this project
Mr. Jonathan Manzano, Member of the PAHO Youth for Health Group, Youth Advisor for PAHO and Founder of MentalHealthMissionTT (Trinidad and Tobago)

Mr. René Holder-McClean-Ramirez

There is no health without mental health” I recognize and fully support the call to action. We need current legislation and policy that protects people, improves access and provides care
Mr. René Holder-McClean-Ramirez, Founder of Renacer Enterprises (Barbados)

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