Wellness Express mobile service launched at Haile Selassie High School

Students from Haile Selassie High School in Kingston are among the first to benefit from a new mobile mental-health service that will support schools in zones of special operations (ZOSOs) as well as those in western Jamaica affected by Hurricane Melissa.

The Wellness Express – Adolescent Mental Health Mobile Service was officially launched at the school last Friday.

In his remarks, Minister of Health and Wellness Christopher Tufton said the mobile unit represents a community-based approach to strengthening mental wellness and addressing behaviours that can lead to violence and conflict.

“We cannot see ourselves as just curing the burdens of illness … we have to see ourselves more as a credible force in the community to provide guidance and support for good community harmony of wellness,” he said.

He added that wellness goes beyond physical health, noting that “wellness is not just about the physical. It’s about the mental, it’s about the behavioural, it’s about helping each other … and finding better ways to solve problems”.

United Kingdom (UK) Development Representative for Jamaica and Caribbean Regional Counsellor Andrew Bowden said the UK is pleased to support the initiative through the UK–Jamaica Violence Prevention Programme.

He added that the partnership supports Jamaica’s citizen-security plan by addressing trauma, exclusion, and unmet mental-health needs among young people.

“This bus … being launched today, is an excellent example of the approach in action,” he said, noting that multiple agencies are working together to deliver holistic support.

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information Kasan Troupe said the mobile unit expands access to critical services for students navigating difficult circumstances. “We are here launching this Wellness Express as an extended service to ensure that you can stand in your own excellence,” she said.

She encouraged young people to make use of the support being offered.

Principal of Haile Selassie High School Annionia Jones welcomed the initiative while describing her school as a space dedicated to holistic development.

The mobile unit will provide counselling, mental-health screening, referrals, and other psychosocial services as part of ongoing efforts by the Government and its partners to strengthen youth resilience and promote safer, healthier school communities.

JIS