Minister of State in the Ministry of National Security and Peace, the Hon. Juliet Cuthbert-Flynn, has reaffirmed the government’s unyielding pledge to providing psychosocial care to youth, declaring that while “law enforcement controls violence, social programmes prevent it and community engagement sustains peace”.
She emphasised that peace is not an abstract concept but a core part of national security as “security and peace are inseparable, and Jamaica must address conditions that allow violence to take root.’
The State Minister made the remarks during the Official Launch of the ‘Wellness Express’ and the unveiling of the LIV GUD Anti-violence Campaign mural held at the Haile Selassie High School in Kingston on Friday, February 13.
The ‘Wellness Express’ a Mobile Mental Health Service offered by the Ministry of Health and Wellness brining psychosocial assessment, early intervention and referral services directly to schools and communities. This forms part of the expansion of government’s Psychosocial Support Strategy designed to increase accessible counselling, reduce vulnerability to peer pressure, gang influence, and deepen resilience among the nation’s youth.
The launch was hosted by the Ministry of National Security and Peace in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Wellness and the Ministry of Education, Youth, Skills and Information, with support from the UK–Jamaica Violence Prevention Partnership Programme (VPPP).
Minister Flynn further stated that the launch of the ‘Wellness Express’ and unveiling of the LIV GUD Anti-Violence Campaign mural presents bold and necessary tools to meet young people where they are.
“Bringing mental health services directly to students and families ... recognises that early support is far more powerful than late intervention. These spaces matter. They give students somewhere to pause instead of reacting, to process instead of lashing out and to heal instead of harming ... that is violence prevention in its most practical form,” she explained.
In acknowledging that violence often starts with untreated trauma, Minister Cuthbert-Flynn encouraged students to “keep di peace and LIV GUD” by utilising the services of the ‘Wellness Express’ and the reminders of positive living depicted in the LIV GUD mural.
For his part, Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, shared that the Wellness Express is timely, as part of the government’s response to youth mental health.
He explained that “the data displays dire need for intervention not limited to only raising awareness, as awareness alone is not enough. Awareness must be paired with access. That is what the Wellness Express will deliver. This initiative represents prevention in action.”
United Kingdom Development Representative for Jamaica and Caribbean Regional Counsellor, Andrew Bowden, underscored the necessity of partnership in the shared responsibility of violence prevention.
“Our partnership with the Government of Jamaica promotes a public health approach to prevention. This approach prioritises evidence-based, locally led, multi-dimensional solutions. It promotes a whole-of-government approach to achieve better outcomes. In so doing, violence prevention becomes a shared responsibility for key public sector agencies.”
The Government of Jamaica entered into an agreement with the Government of the United Kingdom to implement the Violence Prevention Partnership Programme (VPPP). The VPPP is a six-year, £15-million initiative designed to address the root causes of youth violence through integrated, evidence-based interventions grounded in the public health model to crime prevention.
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