Children Receive Certificates after Completing Drug Treatment Programme

Four participants enrolled in the Kingston and St. Andrew Family Court Children’s Drug Treatment Programme, were today (July 20) awarded certificates for successfully completing the course.

The ceremony was held at the Simón Bolívar Cultural Centre in downtown Kingston under the theme ‘Recovery is a Process, Not an Event’.

The Children’s Drug Treatment Programme is a solution-focused collaborative project offered to children who are drug-dependent and are before the Court for moderate criminal offences.

Children in need of care and protection or who exhibit uncontrollable behaviours with an associated drug dependency are also eligible for the programme.

In a message delivered via video presentation, Minister of Health, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, congratulated the participants for successfully completing the programme.

“You are now part of the success story and will now have to be the ambassadors in promoting a lifestyle free of substance abuse,” he told them.

The Minister called on them to take responsibility for their health and well-being, while adopting healthy lifestyle habits to prevent non-communicable diseases.

“Remember, it is important to incorporate physical activity and a balanced diet in your daily routine and ensure to get periodic medical check-ups,” he said.

Dr. Tufton pointed out that alcohol is the most commonly abused substance in Jamaica among adults and young people and has caused more than 200 diseases, including breast cancer, liver cancer and cardiovascular disease.

Resident Representative, Organization of American States, Jeanelle van Glaanen Weygel, encouraged the participants to use this opportunity as a means of turning their lives around. “Use your second chance to live your best lives,” she said.

Senior Parish Court Judge, Kingston and St.Andrew Family Court, Her Hon. Mrs. Paula Blake-Powell, expressed gratitude to the partners who have contributed to the programme’s success over the years.

The treatment programme incorporates a team approach with intensive judicial oversight of the treatment process and requires intensive individual and group counselling sessions, weekly court attendance as well as frequent and random drug testing. The programme spans nine to 12 months and has specific phases that the participants are promoted to once certain criteria are met.

The pilot of the Children’s Drug Treatment Programme commenced in 2014, with six participants graduating in 2016, while five received certification in 2017.