BVI Red Cross hosts regional mental health and psychosocial support workshop

in Bulletins, Press Releases / By: BVI News on October 8, 2024 at 5:43 PM /

The British Virgin Islands Red Cross is proud to host a regional Train the Trainer workshop on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS), bringing together various Red Cross volunteers and staff from the BVI and other Overseas Territories.

The workshop will equip participants to become trainers in skills important for supporting individuals with mental health conditions and aims to create impactful programs within their communities. This training is a key component of the BVI Red Cross’s broader Cash and Voucher Assistance (CVA) Capacity Building Project, currently funded by UNICEF and supported by the British Red Cross.

The project, which began in May 2024 and is set to conclude in March 2025, aims to strengthen community support mechanisms through the integration of mental health support into emergency response.

BVI Red Cross Director, Stacy Lloyd, emphasised the importance of this initiative, stating: “We are honoured to host this important regional workshop on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support, as it represents a significant step toward enhancing our regional capacity to provide crucial mental health services in times of need.”

A total of 20 participants will attend the workshop, including six volunteers from the BVI Red Cross, five from the Turks and Caicos Red Cross, and one volunteer each from the Anguilla, Bermuda, and Cayman Islands Red Cross societies. The group also includes two representatives from the Social Development Department.

Training will be led by experts from the Jamaican Red Cross and the British Red Cross, with a focus on community-based MHPSS and MHPSS in emergencies, by connecting these skills to CVA programming. This collaborative effort reflects the commitment of the Red Cross in addressing mental health in the community particularly during disasters.