Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Hon. Olivia Grange (left), and Minister of Education and Youth, Hon. Fayval Williams (right), congratulate Olympian, Shericka Jackson, following her victory in the Women’s 100-metres final during the 2022 National Senior and Junior Athletics Championships at the National Stadium, on Friday (June 24).
 
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The Ministry of Health & Wellness is working with Senator Dr. Saphire Longmore to get a team of mental health professionals into schools this week, as part of ongoing efforts to bring wellness resources to youth.
The initiative reflects the collaboration of the Health Ministry and the Ministry of Education & Youth, in line with plans announced by Minister of Health & Wellness, Dr. Christopher Tufton in his Sectoral presentation in May.
According to Dr. Tufton, concerns around mental health must be addressed as the island attempts to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Even before COVID-19, mental health was a significant issue in our society. It continues to be an issue of national priority, with many Jamaicans suffering in silence due to the stigma associated with mental illness. Our response is to focus on mental wellness and this requires an all-of-society approach,” the Minister said at the time.
He added that the planned efforts include promoting better understanding and acceptance that mental health issues can affect anyone, with a specific effort to enhance the mental wellness of our children; and supporting the concept and techniques of mental wellness as part of our coping mechanism.
This week’s efforts involves the Jamaica Psychiatric Association, of which Longmore is the current president; and the Jamaica Psychological Association. The professionals will visit some 32 secondary schools islandwide between Monday, June 27 and Thursday, June 30.
During the visits, the students will get the opportunity to explore the four dimensions of health, namely the spiritual, the physical, the social, and the mental. The sessions – which are to benefit an additional number of schools that are to join virtually – are also to expose them to coping skills for stress and share available resources.
The resources include:
• the 888-SAFE-SPOT (888-723-3776) helpline for children up to 18 years old, which can also be accessed via WhatsApp at 876-439-5199 or through direct message @safespotja on Snapchat and Instagram;
• the U-Matter Chatline for 16-24 years olds that is accessible by texting SUPPORT to 876-838-4897, and via Instagram and Facebook Messenger @ureportjamaica.
There is also the Mental Health & Suicide Prevention Helpline, 888-NEW-LIFE (888-639-5433).
Office:
58a Half Way Tree Road, Kingston 10
Jamaica, W.I
Tel:
1 (876) 926-3590-4
1 (876) 926-3740-6
Email: Send us your query
INTRODUCTION
Initial Officer Training Programme (IOTP) provides basic military officer training to Officer Cadets (OCdts) and their equivalents from law enforcement and uniformed services. The programme falls within the tactical level of the Professional Military Education (PME) framework of armed forces and is modelled from the Royal Military Academy Sandhursts’ (RMAS) Commissioning Course.  It was designed with the direct support and guidance of RMAS Instructing and Support Staff.
 
Rationale
Traditionally, the Jamaica Defence Force’s (JDF) longstanding partnerships with militaries across the world has seen its OCdts being trained in academies in the following countries: United States, England, Canada, China and India. Upon the return of OCdts to the JDF, there is a requirement for doctrine and operating procedure standardization due to the varying concepts and differing contents of the training they had undergone. This is normally done at the Unit level and later, through a Young Officers’ Course. The advent of COVID-19 added a new level of complexity to travel, thus negatively affecting the process of sending OCdts overseas. Additionally, the ongoing expansion and restructuring of the Force to cauterize the ballooning threats to national security has caused an increased demand for newly commissioned Second Lieutenants.
Due to the carefully adapted military and academic curricula, IOTP serves as the course to treat with the aforementioned considerations. The methodology used addresses each issue directly and the course, through the delivery of a bespoke training syllabus, is fit for the JDF and is also relevant to the militaries and organizations within the Caribbean region and in other parts of the world.
 
Concept
Having the RMAS approach to training at its core, IOTP is designed with a syllabus that sees male and female integration throughout training. The course focusses on developing military skills and command with a leadership ‘golden thread’. The course structure allows the Instructing Staff to educate, build, develop and scrutinize an OCdt’s ability to decide and communicate accurately and ethically while under pressure and or stress. The expectation is that on commissioning, an OCdt will be fully cognizant of the responsibilities and personal conditions that being an Officer imposes upon them. The product of the IOTP will be an ethical and robust Officer who has the knowledge, skills, attitudes and intellectual agility to adapt their decision-making process and approach to any environment.
 
Location
The home of IOTP is the Caribbean Military Academy (CMA) Newcastle, which is located at the Newcastle Hill Station, St Andrew, Jamaica.
Nestled in the cool hills of upper St Andrew and amidst beautiful trees, ferns, ground orchids, delicate wild flowers and a profusion of ginger lilies, is the Newcastle
Training Depot founded in 1841 by Major General Sir William Maynard Gomm (later Field Marshall). Gomm, a veteran of the wars against revolutionary France and Lieutenant Governor of Jamaica from 1840 to 1841, relentlessly badgered the War Office in London to establish a mountain station for British soldiers in Jamaica soon after taking up his post.
The idea of the hill station was first raised by Gomm in a letter dated April 7, 1840 to Governor Sir Charles Metcalfe. Gomm pointed out that while Up Park Camp was an ideal location for a barracks, it was subject to the ravages of yellow fever. In Jamaica the
British garrison was stationed on the plain at Up Park Camp, Stony Hill, Fort Augusta and Port Royal. Here, on the average, 1 soldier died every 2½ days. According to Russell, the year 1838 was considered a ‘good’ year: only 91 men died. In 1839, 110 men perished and in the following year 121. Initially, the British government was conservative in approving a hill station for the troops in Jamaica. They were concerned about the expense of the venture.
In May 1841, London finally sanctioned Gomm’s efforts to build what is thought to be the first permanent mountain station in the British West Indies at Newcastle. The site selected was a coffee plantation protruding from the southern face of the grand ridge of the Blue Mountains. The British government paid £4,230 for the Newcastle site.
At the outbreak of World War II (1939-1945), life at Newcastle changed a little. The British regiment was replaced by Canadian regiments which remained at Newcastle for the duration of the war. With hostilities over in 1945, the Canadians left and once again a British battalion was stationed there.
In 1958, the West Indies Federation was founded and the infantry regiments of the various Caribbean islands were disbanded and reorganized into the West India Regiment. Newcastle became a training depot, training recruits from all over the West Indies as part of the
newly formed West Indies Federation. In 1962 when Federation was disbanded, the West India Regiment was also disbanded. Jamaica simultaneously sought her independence, which was achieved on August 6, 1962. With independence, Newcastle was given to the Jamaican government as part of a general settlement of all military lands in Jamaica.
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