A new mental health hub specifically for children and adolescents will be launched this summer at the Cayman Islands Hospital, health officials have confirmed.
Health Minister Sabrina Turner, speaking at the fifth annual Alex Panton Foundation Youth Mental Health Symposium at the Ritz-Carlton on Saturday, 19 Feb., said the hub would be housed at the Cayman Islands Hospital campus, and would be run by the foundation and the Health Services Authority.
She said both entities had consulted with local and international experts “on best practices, including triaging to determine the urgency of the mental health patient encounter and how to treat juvenile patients”.
She added, “It is our goal that our young people will be able to receive specialised mental health care in an environment that suits their needs.”
Lizzette Yearwood, CEO of the Health Services Authority, told the Cayman Compass the youth mental health facility at the hospital is expected to open at the end of July.
The 24/7 hub will serve as a walk-in facility, where children and adolescents can get immediate access to help.
It will be housed at the site of the HSA General Practice Clinic, which will move to Smith Road Centre.
Yearwood said additional staff, funded by Cabinet, would be in place at the hub to cater for young people seeking help with mental health issues, who otherwise may have had to wait at the Accident and Emergency Department for assistance.
While the HSA is paying for the renovation work at the site, the Alex Panton Foundation is suppling the furniture for the new hub. Anyone who wishes to donate to assist in this endeavour can do so by clicking here.
The hub will also have a non-emergency vehicle, donated by Maples, at its disposal.
Meanwhile, the eight-bed inpatient mental care unit at the Cayman Islands Hospital will continue to operate, Yearwood said.
Long-term mental health facility update
At the symposium, Health Minister Turner also gave an update on the long-term mental health facility in East End, which she said was expected to be completed by Fall 2022.
“This facility is being established for residents of the Cayman Islands, who have serious and persistent mental illness,” she said, “and it will allow them to be cared for holistically in a safe and secure environment reflecting a therapeutic approach to care, with the prime objective of being integrated back into their communities”.
Currently, there is no residential option available for people in need of long-term mental health care, but once open, the East End facility, which will include nine six-bed cottages on a 15-acre site, will be able to cater to 54 patients at any one time.
Symposium highlights need for help
Throughout Saturday’s symposium, the key message that came through was that more help is needed to deal with mental health issues affecting many young people in Cayman.
Among barriers to that help being made available, a number of speakers said, was a failure of insurance companies to adequately cover mental health-related therapy and treatments; under-funding and under-resourcing of government agencies, such as the Needs Assessment Unit and the Children and Family Services Department; and a lack of access to 24-hour assistance.
The theme of the symposium was ‘Thriving in Uncertain Times’, with a focus on the impact the pandemic has had on the wellness of the youth of Cayman.
During the symposium, politicians, medical professionals and counsellors gave their input, but perhaps the most insightful and impactful presentations were made by teenagers and young people who have battled or are battling their own mental health issues, or seen their friends or family members do so.
One group of young speakers, a panel of six teenagers who are all members of the Alex Panton Foundation’s Youth Ambassadors Programme – provided an in-depth look at how the pandemic had impacted them and their peers, and suggested ways in which they can be helped and supported.
Even before the pandemic, with all its associated stresses and fears for the entire population, a survey carried out by the National Drug Council between 3 Feb. and 3 March 2020, showed that one in six high school students had contemplated suicide.
The youth ambassador panel moderator, Cristin Jackson, starkly pointed out to the audience, “One in six. There are six of us up here.”
Check back this week for more stories from the Alex Panton Foundation Youth Mental Health Symposium.
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