Basseterre, St. Kitts, April 22, 2021 (SKNIS): With the growing concern over the increase in the use, misuse, and abuse of cannabis (marijuana) among youth in the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Kitts & Nevis National Council on Drug Abuse Prevention Secretariat held a training session for education counsellors on Monday 19th April 2021, at the Jessups Community Center in Nevis.
Mrs. Karimu Byron-Caines, Director of St. Kitts & Nevis National Council on Drug Abuse Prevention Secretariat, an agency that falls under the Ministry of National Security, said that part of the responsibility of the Secretariat “is to ensure that effective prevention, treatment, and other intervention programmes through education and training are made available to the persons we serve in this Federation.”
“We have had many calls, numerous calls, especially lately, of persons expressing concerns of the increase in marijuana use, misuse and abuse amongst our adolescents in the Federation, and as such we have had official overseas training through the Organization of American States (OAS) where Miss Zahra Jacobs, your trainer for today travelled to Mexico to undertake this training in Cannabis Youth Treatment Series One.”
Mrs. Byron-Caines said that the manual and training are “designed to help train substance abuse treatment counsellors and other counsellors to conduct a brief five-session treatment intervention for adolescents with cannabis use disorders presenting for outpatient treatment. It combines two sessions of Motivational Enhancement Therapy (MET) and three sessions of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) in a group format.”
“We all know, and we are aware of the effects of marijuana, especially in our youths. We have heard it especially in our schools where the students are sometimes coming to school high, causing some behavioural problems. We are seeing challenges with the academic performance and so we are pleased to be offering you the front-line counsellors hands-on material for an effective programme. It’s going to take you effort; it’s going to take you dedication; it’s going to take some planning, but the National Council on Drug Abuse Prevention is here to support you, to assist you in any way,” Mrs. Byron-Caines said.
Ms. Zahnela Claxton, Principal Education Officer (PEO) in the Department of Education on Nevis, said that the training will prove beneficial.
“This training will no doubt provide our counsellors with additional tools, which they will surely find useful. In an age where edibles and smoking are the norms of our young people, it is imperative that we provide the necessary support for them,” Ms. Claxton said.
Ms. Sandra Maynard, Director of Social Services in the Ministry of Social Development in the Nevis Island Administration, welcomed the training and said that with the increased cannabis use in high schools, it is important to reach out especially to you At-Risk-Youth and youth offenders.
“In January of 2020, I attended the unveiling of the CFYR (Communities, Families and Youth Resilience) Project Baseline online study of communities in our Federation and paid special attention to results of young persons’ involvement in delinquent activity. Of those surveyed in the 10 to 29 age group in St. Kitts and Nevis, youth in their controlled communities were using marijuana or other illegal drugs at a rate of 47.8 percent,” said Ms. Maynard.
She added: “The controlled communities if I understand correctly, were those identified by the project as the high-risk communities across the Federation. Those youth not in controlled or high-risk territories admitting to using marijuana and other drugs was reported as being 23.7 percent. To be fair to the efforts of my CFYR colleagues, there was some reported reduction of controlled substances by the end of the project, but that number reported 30.5 percent, but 30.5 percent is still one that gives cause for serious concern, and more importantly, a call to action.”
Ms. Maynard added that the COVID-19 pandemic has had mental health effects on children and youth and some perhaps have turned to drugs to help them to cope.
NIA CHARLESTOWN NEVIS (April 20, 2021) – – Counselors, Child Protection and Probation Officers and school Guidance Counselors in Nevis are now better equipped to treat young persons who abuse Cannabis.
The counselors attended a one-day training session on an international application- Cannabis Youth Treatment Programme- on April 19, 2021 at the Jessups Community Centre.
The training session, organized by the National Council on Drug Abuse Prevention, is designed to help train substance abuse counselors and other counselors to conduct a brief five-session intervention for adolescents with Cannabis use disorders.
Ms. Zahnela Claxton, Principal Education Officer in the Department of Education in the Nevis Island Administration (NIA), said with the prevalence of students who use and or abuse marijuana, the training was very timely and necessary.
“This training will no doubt provide our counselors with additional tools which they will surely find useful. Is it necessary? Yes. Will it be useful? Yes. Is it timely? A resounding yes.
“In an age where Edibles and smoking are the norm for our young people it is imperative that we provide the necessary support for them. In some of the instances it is beyond what is happening in the schools and the community. In some instances it is something that that is encouraged at home.
“We know the effects [of marijuana use] on the development of our children and teens. In our schools we often see evidence of Cannabis abuse. In light of this, on behalf of the Ministry and Department of Education, I applaud the National Council on Drug Abuse Prevention for this initiative. I hope you [participants] will be able to put what is learned into practice,” she said during the opening ceremony.
Mrs. Karimu Byron Caines, Director of the National Council on Drug Abuse Prevention Secretariat, highlighted that the training was being offered by the Ministry of National Security as part of its responsibility to ensure that effective prevention, treatment and other intervention programmes, education, and training are made available to the persons in the Federation.
She explained that the counselors would be trained in effective applications of brief intervention approaches to the treatment of adolescents affected by cannabis abuse.
“This Cannabis Youth Treatment combines two sessions of Motivational Enhancement Therapy (MET), and three sessions of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) in a group format.
“So this is a training a tool that has been used across the Organisation of American States hemisphere and they have found it to be effective. So we are pleased to be sharing the material. The manuals will act as a guide as they go back to their facilities and institutions to implement this training session.
“We all know and are aware of the effects of marijuana, especially on our youths. We’ve heard it especially in our schools where students are sometimes coming to school high, causing some behavioral problems. We are seeing challenges with the academic performance and so we are pleased to be offering you the frontline counselors hands on material to an effective program,” she said.
The session was facilitated by Ms. Zara Jacobs a counselor in the Ministry of Community Development.
]]>Basseterre, St. Kitts, April 19, 2021 (SKNIS): Carlene Henry-Morton, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Tourism, Transport, and Ports, has congratulated the St. Kitts Department of Meteorological Services for 50 years of service to the island’s population and encouraged the staff to maintain a spirit of excellence when performing their duties.
Mrs. Henry-Morton extended the commendation on Sunday, April 18, 2021, as she worshiped with the department’s staff at the Antioch Baptist Church at Lime Kiln Commercial Development.
Her comments were made on behalf of the Minister of Ports, the Honourable Lindsay Grant, who was unable to attend the service to deliver remarks.
The Met Office, as it is commonly called, monitors and provides weather forecasts. It also handles air traffic control for the R. L. Bradshaw International Airport.
The permanent secretary said that the services provided by the Met Office are particularly important given the changing global environmental conditions.
“The need for accuracy still remains paramount and the staff at the Meteorological Services strives to deliver reliable and dependable results recognizing the implications to safety in aviation and the potential impact on lives and livelihoods from accurate weather information,” she stated.
Mrs. Henry-Morton added that the upcoming Atlantic Hurricane Season, which forecasters predict will be above normal, requires a high level of commitment from the Met Office staff.
“To this end, the staff readily accepts the challenge to provide timely updates on weather conditions so that as a nation we can make informed decisions to protect lives and livelihoods. For this, we must say a hearty thank you for their dedication and selfless service in the past and present, and which I am confident will continue well into the future,” she expressed.
The theme for this year’s celebration is “Service with Accuracy and Reliability – St. Kitts Meteorological Services at 50.”
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