(Stock Photo)

Public officers who have been impacted by COVID-19 are receiving timely psychosocial support, to help them deal with any challenges.

The Ministry of the Public Service (MPS), through Network Services Centre, is hosting interactive online support sessions for public officers, which started today Wednesday, March 3, and will be held every Wednesday, twice daily, for six weeks.

Assistant Director of the People Support and Wellness Unit, MPS, Susan Sealy, said the group sessions allow for an ongoing safe and confidential space for officers to express their feelings, as well as process and understand their emotions, while exploring their unique coping resources.

Some of the topics being discussed are: Assessing and Understanding Personal Stress; Understanding and Managing Emotional Response to the Pandemic; Dealing with Social Stigma; Building Resilience; Enhancing Life Balance; and Coping and Self-Care.

Ms. Sealy said the support sessions were developed because of the increasing number of people infected with the virus and the impact on the mental health and well-being of individuals. 

“We wondered about the mental impact on those individuals who were exposed to the virus and awaiting results in quarantine, as well as those who received positive test results and were in isolation. 

“In light of the presence of the virus, we recognise that any public officer could be affected at any given time, and therefore, it was necessary for us to create an avenue for them to express their fears, anxieties and overall concerns,” she explained.

For further information on the interactive sessions, public officers should call the People Support and Wellness Unit at 535-4565.

Meanwhile, public officers are reminded that they may contact the Unit or the Network Services Centre, to be a part of the Employee Assistance Programme.

This programme provides a suite of services for public officers, including individual counselling, family counselling, group counselling, seminars & workshops and critical incidents stress debriefing.

sharon.austingill-moore@barbados.gov.bb

Pin It on Pinterest