A new programme site of the Child Resiliency Programme (CRP) was established at Mountain View Primary where 25 children referred from grade five have been successfully engaged in the five arms of the programme: nutritional support, life skills training via circle time, academic support, sports and cultural arts activities and parenting and family counselling after school this term.
Dr Kim Scott, Director of the Child Resiliency Programme said that the new site replaced the Red Hills site.
The programme continued at Boys Town with 60 children and their parents referred from Edward Seaga Primary, Boys Town Primary, St Alban’s Primary, Trench Town Primary and St Annie’s Primary. The adjusted referral criteria to include children identified to be suffering from anxiety and depression and needing mental health support continued.
Prizes for positive behaviour were awarded to the top two children per house at both Boys Town and Mountain View Primary at mid- term and end of term and the winning houses went on a field trip to Castleton Gardens in St. Mary on December 10. Both sites closed off with a Christmas concert where students were given the opportunity to perform in drumming, dance and song. One hundred food packages were distributed to parents through the Joan Duncan Foundation of Jamaica Money Market Brokers.
Baseline Evaluation Data including individual interviews of children and a focus group with parents, has been collected on all 85 referrals from both sites. The Masters in Counselling and Consulting Psychology students assigned to CRP to conduct their research thesis has included a focus group 5 year follow up of a cohort of Boys Town graduates from 2015.
The Child Resiliency Programme leadership team conducted training and certification in peace building, resiliency and wellness according to the Peace Building Resiliency and Wellness Course (PRW) Training Manual. The manual was completed in 2021 to 22 teachers and guidance counsellors of two feeder schools to CRP from October to November 2022. The PRW was also delivered in the semester to 23 guidance and counselling final year students, 50 Bachelors in Education students and 10 students in Masters in Counselling and Consulting Psychology at International University of the Caribbean. All students graduated from the university on November 24.