The Caribbean Alliance of National Psychological Associations, CANPA, has received funding from the Clara Lionel Foundation, CLF, to conduct its Caribbean Youth Mental Health Champions Project. The project has two components: the Teen Mental Health

Influencers (TMHI) Training Program and a Virtual Exhibition of Youth Art in Times of COVID-19. The project seeks to empower Caribbean youth to express themselves and raise awareness of mental health in the Caribbean region especially during times of crisis. The opportunities for Caribbean youth to have a voice and impact in disasters when they experience distress are limited. The project aims to build capacity and ensure sustainability through using replicable models of intervention which aim to:

1. Develop a growing community of youth mental health advocates who can participate in spaces for them and by them.
2. Encourage and facilitate the healthy expression of mental health and ameliorate mental health symptoms through creative and diverse outlets. 

The Teen Mental Health Influencer (TMHI) Training Program will develop and train an initial cadre of 15 teen mental health influencers, aged 13 to 18, from 6 Caribbean countries (Bahamas, Barbados, Jamaica, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago and the United States Virgin Islands). The teens will receive online training from psychology and social media experts and receive mentoring from liaison psychologists. They will receive an electronic device and a stipend to support their social media advocacy to their peer group on mental health issues.

The Youth Art in times of COVID-19 project targets all Caribbean-resident youths aged 8 to 16, through the visual arts. The project seeks to capture the unique perspective of Caribbean children and to provide them with a platform to tell their stories about the impact of the pandemic on their life and how they have been coping, through the art they produce. The submissions will be professionally curated and displayed on an online gallery.

The project steering committee consists of the project lead Dr. Katija Khan, Consultant

Clinical Psychologist and President Elect of CANPA, Dr. Ishtar Govia, Academic and

Registered Clinical Psychologist, Executive Council Member, Dr. Margarett Barnett, Licensed Industrial & Organizational Psychologist, Vice President and Mrs. Zaida KhanVentour, Project Manager.

This collaboration is first of its kind between CANPA and the CLF. Commenting on the award, Dr. Katija Khan, president elect of CANPA said: “We are delighted that we have received this vital support from CLF. Caribbean young people need more support with promoting mental health, and this grant will allow us to provide  much needed opportunities for them to do this.”  

A virtual launch of the project is carded for Friday 10th June 2022 at 9 a.m., EST, via Zoom. Members of the news media are welcome to attend once registered at this link.

More information about the Teen Mental Health Influencer Training Program or the Virtual Exhibition of Youth Art in Times of COVID-19 can be found on the CANPA Facebook page.