National Security Minister Highlights Importance of Psychosocial Support in Preventing Crime and Violence

Minister of National Security, Hon. Dr. Horace Chang, says the Government understands the importance of psychosocial investments in preventing crime and violence on the island.

“[We] remain committed to playing our part in developing, implementing, and supporting activities towards this end, in particular with the Ministry of Education. Our recognition and commitment has been long, but our policy has shifted significantly in recent times,” he noted.

Dr. Chang was addressing the Half-Yearly Conference of the Jamaica Association of Guidance Counsellors in Education (JAGCE), which was held at the Cardiff Hotel and Spa in Runaway Bay, St. Ann, on Tuesday (June 11).

“The Ministry of National Security established the Crime Prevention and Community Safety Branch (CPSSB) with a mandate of contributing to the prevention of crime and violence through social development, and over the years many projects and activities were implemented. The achievements of these operations sometimes have not fully met our expectations, but we continue to revise and refresh our approaches as necessary,” Dr. Chang emphasised.

As part of its investment in psychosocial crime-prevention strategies, the Government also recently announced that a Child and Adolescent Wellness Centre will be established in Montego Bay, St James.

The decision to establish the centre was driven by a needs assessment undertaken in 2022, with the help of the European Union (EU), which indicated that approximately 22,600 children have been identified as needing therapeutic counselling, as a result of having some kind of mental or behavioural issue that might have been caused by exposure to trauma or acts of violence.

During the conference, several professional development sessions were hosted on topics such as maintaining integrity in leadership and advocacy and the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on the guidance and counselling profession.

The Minister lauded the guidance counsellors, calling the profession “critical”, as they deal with “our children and young Jamaicans”.

“We affirm the Ministry’s continuous partnership with the Ministry of Education and Youth on issues involving discipline, character development and, of course, family and parenting issues,” Dr. Chang said.

The conference was held under the theme ‘Stronger together through prayer, perseverance and integrity’.