The Child Care Board (CCB), in collaboration with the Barbados Public Workers’ Cooperative Credit Union Limited (BPWCCUL), will host a trauma-informed care workshop for all public primary and secondary school guidance counsellors and counsellors to aid them in their efforts with students.
The workshop, which forms part of the activities for Child Month, will take place on Wednesday, May 15, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the 3Ws Pavilion, at The University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus. It is in keeping with the CCB’s mandate of assisting children in having a better quality of life.
It also highlights corporate sectors’ willingness to join with state agencies to assist in developing the nation’s children. At the end of the public education and awareness exercise, it is expected that counsellors will be better able to assist children in navigating their various environments, socially and psychologically.
Minister of People Empowerment and Elder Affairs, Kirk Humphrey, will deliver the feature address, while Director of the CCB, RoseAnn Richards, will give welcome remarks.
Several local and regional mental health practitioners will address the topic of trauma and how it impacts the child in the school environment. Participants will also be taught practical skills which they can apply in their setting.
Among the topics to be examined are: What is Trauma? Trauma and the Brain; Trauma, Triggers and Re-traumatization within the Schools; Experiencing Trauma in the Educational Setting; and Psychological Interventions for Trauma Management.
Child Month is being held under the theme Our Children: Building Hope and Resilience for Tomorrow.